Robert F Kennedy Jr.: The independent challenging Biden and Trump

Having scored an endorsement from a former top Clinton aide, he is averaging 16.7% in recent polling data from RealClearPolitics- surpassing the threshold to qualify for the presidential debates. A worrying idea for the other widely predicted contenders, Biden and Trump, who will go untested having so far both failed to participate in their parties’ primary debates. A New York Times/ Siena College poll has also suggested Kennedy is winning outright in key states with voters aged under 45.

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A vital factor in these polling results with the young is likely Kennedy’s background as a prominent environmental lawyer. During this career he spent 33 years with Riverkeeper, an organisation dedicated to reducing river pollution and ensuring clean drinking water.

Stemming from this work he was named as one of Time Magazine’s “heroes of the planet”. This passion truly shines through in his campaign which has stated that it will incentivise clean energy, protect wild land from over development, and work with farmers to challenge pollution.

Similar to the approach of the governing party here in Scotland, Kennedy’s campaign manifesto has pledged to “forge agreements with other countries” in order to fulfil these environmental policies.

President Joe Biden (Image: Evan Vucci/AP/PA)

This couldn’t be further away from the Republican Party’s traditional stance on environmental policy, specifically that of their likely presidential candidate- former President Donald Trump. It may fail to significantly set Kennedy apart from Biden, yet the hope that he offers Americans as an independent is through his ability to provide the best of both worlds. After all, his intention in leaving the party of his father and uncle was to stand on his mixed political beliefs.

For example, Biden has drawn significant criticism for his involvement in the Israel-Hamas war currently taking place. A poll from Quinnipiac University has shown that 36% of Democratic leaning voters disapprove of how Biden has handled the conflict in Israel. In comparison to this, Kennedy has firmly placed himself as anti-interventionist. He has pledged to drastically curtail US defence spending, with his campaign website promising to “stop seeing the world in terms of enemies and adversaries”.

This view also extends to the war in Ukraine, which Kennedy asserts is a result of America’s geopolitical game with Russia. He reinforced this whilst speaking to a crowd earlier this year at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, as reported by ABC News, “I abhor Russia's brutal and bloody invasion of that nation", but added " we must understand that our government has also contributed to its circumstances”.

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Kennedy claims he will seek a diplomatic resolution to the war whilst working with the United Nations, which is difficult to see given the rhetoric from both sides of the war has shown no signs of de-escalation. In all likelihood this approach will go down well with groups in society who are tired of overseas military operations, bringing to mind the anti-war protests that we have also seen in the United Kingdom since 2003. This approach to foreign affairs harks back to the agenda of John F Kennedy, who was deeply motivated by the prospect of global peace.

Of course, any mention of RFK Jr.‘s past must also recognise how tragedy has shaped his campaign. Many in Scotland today know about the circumstances surrounding the fate of his uncle, President John F Kennedy. Fewer know about his father of the same name who’s life was also taken by a Palestinian man, whilst he was running for the Democratic candidate nomination in 1968. A petition is currently circulating in support of granting RFK Jr. secret service protection, with his campaign reporting that he has been a victim of home intrusion twice this election period.

These events have clearly played a profound role in RFK Jr.’s attitude towards governance and his deep dissatisfaction in the American political system. He continues to publicly call for the declassification of documents related to his uncle’s assassination. Despite the fact that the 22nd of November 2023 marked 60 years since JFK’s death, there are still a limited number of documents that remain unavailable to the American public. His personal distrust has no doubt helped Kennedy to gain popularity with those disillusioned with the American political system, who could find common ground with his controversial campaign pledge to “stop manipulating the public with propaganda and targeted leaks”.

Donald Trump (Image: PA)

However, controversy has followed RFK. His criticisms of vaccine safety testing and the implementation of lockdowns in America have seen him labelled as an ‘anti-vaxxer’. Whilst this may actually play well with certain audiences, it is something he attempted to clarify and distance himself from in the New York Post in June of 2023, stating “I urge people to listen to what I actually say instead of listening to the litany of derisive sound bites that the mainstream media offers to mischaracterize and distort my positions”.

Despite this, it is a label that continues to stick throughout his presidential campaign.

Even if there are doubts about his ability to win the election, the polls at this stage in the campaign suggest it would certainly be foolish to write off his impact on the result. There will be growing concern across the political divide that Kennedy could at the very least swing the vote away from either candidate, given the widespread prediction that it will be a tight race between Biden and Trump. It is clear that his candidacy offers a message of hope to many who are disillusioned with a two-party political system, offering him a chance to mobilise a sizeable grassroots movement.