(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his candidacy for president on Wednesday in Boston, as a new poll revealed he has the support of 14% of Democratic primary voters who backed President Joe Biden in 2020.
The USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey was conducted between Saturday and Tuesday and included 600 Biden voters identified from national and state polls from 2020 to 2022. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
In his announcement speech, Kennedy said, “My mission over the next 18 months of this campaign and throughout my presidency will be to end the corrupt merger of state and corporate power that is threatening to impose a new, kind of corporate feudalism in our country; to commoditize our children, our purple mountain’s majesty; to poison our children and our people with chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs; to strip-mine our assets; to hollow out the middle class and keep us in a constant state of war.”
Kennedy, the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of former attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, was previously known as an environmental lawyer but is now most recognized for his anti-vaccine advocacy. His views have been criticized by many, including his family members.
Regarding his family’s differing opinions, Kennedy said, “I bear no ill will or any kind of disappointment to any of them. They have different views of the politics of this country.”
The poll showed that 33% of Biden voters who disapprove of the president’s job performance and 35% of those who think his policies are “too liberal” support Kennedy. He has the most robust backing from self-identified conservatives, younger voters, and those without a college degree.
David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, commented on the poll results, saying, “In 2020, Joe Biden received more votes than any other president in U.S. history, yet the poll tells us that those same voters are open to other Democrats to wage a spirited primary.” He added, “Kennedy, although a long shot at this point, starts in double digits and can’t be ignored.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential bid backed by 14 percent of Biden voters: survey https://t.co/ecZggLIrUt pic.twitter.com/tnOJvYLV4z
— The Hill (@thehill) April 19, 2023
