Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Announces Independent Run For President

In a speech on Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he was withdrawing from the Democratic primary contest against Joe Biden to run an independent presidential campaign in 2016.

In Philadelphia, he addressed a crowd in front of the National Constitution Center and argued that his decision to leave the party his family has represented for decades was in line with American values of individualism. He also outlined his platform, which combines liberal policy priorities with more unconventional positions for a Democrat, such as tougher rhetoric on immigration and contentious claims about public health.

“Something is stirring in us. It says, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way,'” Kennedy said. “People stop me everywhere, at airports and hotels and malls on the street, and they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change. They are ready to reclaim their freedom, their independence. And that’s why I’m here today. I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for president of the United States.”

“I’m coming here today to declare our independence from the journey of corruption, which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future, and our respect for each other. But to do that, I must first declare my independence, independence from the Democratic Party,” he said.

Kennedy, an attorney and activist, sprung from one of the most well-known Democratic families in the nation; his uncle was former President John F. Kennedy, and his father was the assassinated senator Robert F. Kennedy Sr.

In April, the younger Kennedy began an improbable campaign against Biden for the 2024 Democratic candidacy.

Although he has received millions in donations from a base of followers, Kennedy has since earned relatively little support among Democrats in national polling, according to 538.

An independent campaign is a novel twist in the upcoming election at a time when polls consistently show that voters are unenthusiastic about a potential rematch between Vice President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. However, it is not yet clear whether Kennedy can sway enough voters from the two-party system to win.

Bren Logan, a self-described Democrat, and Kennedy admirer defended Kennedy’s decision to run as an independent and brushed off claims that he could be a spoiler.

“I don’t play too much in that realm,” Logan told ABC News. “To me, it’s simply noise. So, spoiler or not, it’s a competition.”

Although an independent president has never been elected in modern history, David Heether, another supporter, expressed optimism that Kennedy would become the first.

“The Democrats are worried that I’ll sabotage President Biden’s election. The Republicans fear that if I ruin it for President Trump, it would hurt their cause. They both have valid points, in actuality, Kennedy said on Monday. “I want to ruin it for them both,” said the speaker.

Kennedy’s announcement comes after growing rumors about his future in the party following repeated arguments with the DNC over the rules governing its primary and complaints of what he called an unfair process. Kennedy teased his Philadelphia speech last week as one that would bring about a “sea change in American politics.”

Kennedy called out several of his family who came to the ceremony on Monday to show their support. But other family members have voiced their disapproval. On social media, Sister Kerry Kennedy and three of their siblings issued a statement criticizing his campaign and calling it “perilous for our country.”

Though he continues to poll significantly ahead of her and party officials have stated they favor his reelection, author and speaker Marianne Williamson is currently the sole notable competitor to Biden in the Democratic primary.