Former President Donald Trump on Thursday encouraged liberals to vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., arguing that the Independent presidential candidate is further to the left than President Biden and a “better man.”
“RFK Jr. is, as you know, the most radical left candidate in the race. He’s more so than the Green Party. He’s more so than even crooked Joe Biden. But he’s got some nice things about him. I happen to like him,” Trump, 77, said in a video posted on Truth Social.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, then suggested that liberal voters “should” cast ballots for Kennedy over the 81-year-old incumbent in November, given his policy positions and his character.
“I guess that would mean that RFK Jr. is going to be taking away votes from crooked Joe Biden and he should because he’s actually better than Biden,” the former president said. “He’s much better than Biden.”
“If I were a Democrat, I’d vote for RFK Jr. every single time over Biden, because he’s frankly more in line with Democrats.”
“He’s a better man than Joe Biden, that I can tell you,” Trump continued, calling it “great for MAGA” that he’s in the race.
Kennedy and his campaign staff have been attempting to fend off accusations that the environmental lawyer’s candidacy serves as a spoiler to benefit Trump.
The Independent’s campaign recently terminated a former consultant after video emerged of her suggesting RFK Jr’s. voters’ No. 1 priority was siphoning votes away from Biden.
Kennedy has the support of 10% of voters nationally, compared to Trump’s 41.9% backing and Biden’s 40% support, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls, which included third-party candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein.
Kennedy, the son of the late attorney general and senator from New York, Robert F. Kennedy, launched his White House bid as a Democrat before switching to run as an independent.
He has said that aims to take votes away from both Trump and Biden in the general election.
Trump baselessly predicted in his video message that Kennedy would be indicted by the Justice Department – “probably for environmental fraud” – before November because he is “Biden’s political opponent, not mine.”
