Robert Kennedy Jr. announced this morning that he is abandoning his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination and instead will run in 2024 as an independent:
“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate,” Kennedy told a crowd of supporters in Philadelphia.
“I must declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party,” he said to loud cheers. “And from all other political parties.”
Who will benefit from Kennedy’s presence in the race? Given his iconic name and liberal history, one would assume the Republican nominee should gain. However, Kennedy’s recent anti-establishment posture may draw considerable support away from Donald Trump if he is the GOP nominee. Kennedy has some of Trump’s brashness but without the criminal charges and other legal entanglements. On the other hand, if the GOP nominee is Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley, I think those candidates would lose few votes to Kennedy and could get a real boost from his involvement in the race.
That is how it looks at the moment, anyway.
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