Robert F. Kennedy Jr. candidacy hurts Trump twice as much as Biden, poll finds
Former President Donald Trump loses twice as many votes as Joe Biden with Robert F. Kennedy in the 2024 presidential election, according to an NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll.
“With Kennedy in the race, Biden’s support dips 5 percentage points among Democrats while Trump loses 10 points among Republicans,” that survey found.
Without Kennedy in the race, Biden leads Trump 49% to 47%. With Kennedy in the running, Biden opens a 7% lead over Trump. Trump leads Biden by 6% among independent voters.
RFK Jr. pulled in 16% of the vote in the NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll published Tuesday. Roughly 1,300 registered voters participated in the study conducted last week.
Kennedy entered the presidential race as a Democrat in April, but struggled to expand his base within the party after a fast start. Earlier this month he announced his candidacy as an independent candidate.
“The Democrats are frightened that I’m going to spoil the election for President Biden,” he told supporters. “The Republicans are frightened that I’m going to spoil it for President Trump. The truth is, they’re both right.”
Kennedy comes from Democratic party royalty that includes his father Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated while running for president in 1968.
Resistance to his candidacy includes several relatives, who called his decision “dangerous” in an open letter accusing him of poor judgement. RFK Jr.’s penchant for conspiracy theories and opposition to vaccines has helped him cultivate a right-wing following. The 69-year-old activist works as an environmental lawyer.
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