RFK Jr.’s sister worries he’s taking votes from Biden: 'There’s so much at stake'
The sister of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is worried that her brother will act as an election disrupter and take votes away from President Biden as he mounts an independent bid against him.
When asked by CNN’s Erin Burnett about why she believes voting for her brother is “dangerous,” Rory Kennedy said she believes his campaign is “siphoning” votes from Biden. Kennedy launched an independent bid for the White House last fall after failing to gain momentum on a Democratic ticket.
“I feel strongly that this is the most important election of our lifetime. And there's so much at stake, and I do think it's going to come down to a handful of votes and a handful of states,” she said Monday on CNN.
“And I do worry that Bobby just taking some percentage of votes from Biden could shift the election and lead to Trump's election,” she added.
A three-way race between Biden, former President Trump and Kennedy shows Trump with a narrow lead over Biden, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average. Trump has 40.5 percent support, Biden has 38.6 percent and Kennedy has 9.8 percent in the same average.
Kennedy has often been at odds with his family over his long-shot bid for the White House. His family members denounced his decision to run as an independent in October and have been frequently outspoken about his candidacy.
“Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country,” a statement, signed by four of Kennedy’s siblings, said last year.
Biden hosted 30 members of the Kennedy family at the White House for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration earlier this month, but the independent candidate for president was notably absent. Kennedy said at the time that the gathering was only a “small percentage” of his family.
Members of Kennedy’s family also criticized an ad run by a super PAC backing his independent bid during the Super Bowl last month, prompting him to issue an apology for the ad.
The Hill has reached out to Kennedy's campaign for comment.