Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went after President Biden Friday, after he invoked the Russia-Ukraine war in his D-Day anniversary remarks.
In his speech Friday, Biden asked several hypothetical questions related to how the soldiers who fought in D-Day would react to the current situation in Eastern Europe.
“Does anyone doubt that they would want America to stand up against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression here in Europe today? Does anyone believe these rangers would want America to go it alone today?” he asked. “Does anyone doubt they wouldn’t move heaven and earth to vanquish hateful ideologies of today?”
Biden also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in France, where he apologized for a delay in funding for the war-torn country.
Kennedy, who has been a vocal critic of the U.S. providing additional aid to Ukraine, went after the commander-in-chief, saying the current conflict in Ukraine is not the same as World War II. In a post on social media, the independent candidate argued that he is the only 2024 contender who makes “peace” a priority.
“As Jeffrey Sachs pointed out in his recent interview with Tucker, the United States and NATO have engaged in ‘30 years of provocation, where we could not take peace for an answer,’ Kennedy wrote on social media platform X. “The situation in Ukraine today is not the same as World War II.”
“A President of the United States cannot blithely engage in a historical saber-rattling with a nuclear power. It endangers the world, damages our moral and intellectual standing, and dishonors the sacrifice of our soldiers,” he added. “Peace goes arm in arm with the truth. I am the only candidate in this race who makes that a priority.”
Kennedy has been actively working to qualify for the debate stage alongside Biden and former President Trump later this month. He has also argued that the incumbent should drop out of the race, pointing to polls that suggest he has a better opportunity to beat the former president.
The independent candidate has also argued that denying him access to the debates is a knock against democracy.
“Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want,” Kennedy wrote last month in a post on X, adding, “They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy.”
His campaign announced Friday they have submitted signatures needed to get ballot access in Minnesota and have surpassed eligibility for 270 Electoral College votes. The campaign said they are on the ballot in nine states and have collected enough signatures for ballot access in at least 10 others.
