The Democratic National Committee in a new memo dismissed the potential impact Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s exit from the presidential race might have and signaled it would continue to try and define other potential spoilers moving forward.
The DNC on Friday argued Kennedy Jr.’s sole role in the race was to be a spoiler candidate to boost former President Trump’s chances of victory.
Kennedy Jr. is set to make an announcement about his campaign on Friday afternoon, with speculation swirling he may drop out and endorse Trump. The former president has said he would be "honored" to have Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement.
“Like RFK Jr., Donald Trump is at a low point and acting out of desperation,” the memo stated. “Embracing RFK Jr. now – when he has nothing to offer but months of disqualifying revelations – is not a decision a campaign makes when they’re acting from a position of strength.”
The memo pointed to concerted efforts from Democrats and their allies to try and define Kennedy Jr., a shift from the 2016 race when third-party candidates like Jill Stein were largely ignored.
“As voters have learned about RFK Jr.’s unsavory and reckless past, ties to MAGA donors, and MAGA-lite positions on abortion bans and January 6th pardons, his support has dwindled to make him a near-negligible factor,” the memo states.
“The little support that remains is soft, split across ideologies, and disproportionately among lower propensity voters. With no meaningful base of support and sky-high negatives among Democrats, RFK Jr.’s threat to VP Harris was neutralized,” the DNC memo continued.
The DNC memo predicted that Kennedy Jr. would likely continue to attack Harris even after he drops out of the race. But the party argued Kennedy Jr. could hurt Trump by association, citing the independent candidate’s controversial comments about Jan. 6, the Sept. 11 attacks and vaccines.
“With RFK Jr.’s departure, we will continue to hold other third party candidates accountable and educate voters about the clear choice between VP Harris and Donald Trump,” the memo stated.
Multiple sources close to both the Kennedy and Trump campaigns have said signals are pointing toward the independent candidate announcing he is ending his candidacy and endorsing Trump, but they cautioned that nothing is finalized.
Trump earlier this week said he would be open to giving Kennedy a role in a future administration. The two spoke on the phone during the Republican National Convention, where a possible endorsement reportedly came up.
Kennedy, 70, has struggled to maintain traction in the race. Although his polling has peaked in the double digits, he has dropped to the low single digits in the race that is now between Trump and Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee.
