More than a dozen members of the Kennedy family confirmed the president Joe Biden for a second term on Thursday, overtaking family member Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“We want to make our feelings clear that the best way forward for America is to re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for another four years,” Kerry Kennedy said during his campaign announcement in Philadelphia.
He confirmed on behalf of 15 members of the Kennedy family at the Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center, along with RFK Jr.’s five other siblings: Rory Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy II, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Christopher Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy Sr.
There’s the Kennedy family accelerated his involvement in the Biden campaign is trying to boost Biden’s chances as Democrats worry that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid could risk a spoiler that could hand the election to former President Donald Trump.
The independent candidate’s nephew, former congressman Joseph Kennedy III, said in an interview that his uncle’s “candidacy poses a threat to the country I love and the values I hold.”
“I believe his candidacy will shift support away from President Biden and increase support for Donald Trump,” he said.
Confirmation is “months away now,” according to a source familiar with the Biden campaign’s plan, who added that family members are moving forward to “do something to show that they are united by the president.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. X said: “I heard some of my family will be supporting President Biden today. I’m glad they’re politically active — it’s a family tradition. We’re divided in our opinions, but united in our love for each other.”
Kennedy claimed that “many of my family members are working on and supporting his presidential bid,” but did not say which ones.
Joseph Kennedy III, now who Serves as special envoy for Northern Ireland in the Biden administration, said the family endorsement is intended to reduce third-party support that “could sway votes” for the president.
“We want to be able to do this, not only because of the risk that Bobby’s candidacy represents, but because of who Joe Biden is, what Joe Biden has done, and whether Joe Biden will be in office for another four years,” he said.
Joseph F. Kennedy III acknowledged the “hard” feelings involved in the confirmation, noting that “it’s something we believe should be done.”
“Bobby knows we stand by him as a member of his family, but at the same time we can clearly communicate that his candidacy poses a risk to the country we love,” Kennedy Jr. said.
Kerry Kennedy echoed that sentiment in her speech Thursday.
“Today, we can say without any haste that our rights and freedoms are under threat again,” he said. “That’s why we must all come together in a campaign that must unite not just Democrats, but all Americans, including Republicans and independents who believe in what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.”
Kerry Kennedy direct He attacked Trump and called out his father, Robert F. Kennedy.
“I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior must have horrified my father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who proudly served as Attorney General of the United States and kept his promise to uphold the law and protect the country.” he said before comparing his father’s commitment to equal justice and human rights to Biden’s.
In his speech, Biden called it “an incredible honor to have the support of the Kennedy family.”
Biden also attended a mass event where members of the Kennedy family were introduced by Joseph F. Kennedy III. The president made a speech in front of local supporters and volunteers.
The campaign says members of the Kennedy family are also involved in communicating with voters by calling and knocking on doors.
There are members of the Kennedy family definitionsed Enhanced images of Biden and family members posing with him, such as a St. Patrick’s Day photo featuring three generations of the Kennedy family with him.
Likewise, Biden describes Robert F. Kennedy as a political hero, who “inspired him early in his career to leave corporate law to become a public defender and then run for public office,” the Biden campaign said. Biden also has a bust of the great Kennedy in the Oval Office.
Some members of the family were more live When Stephen F. Kennedy Smith criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on social media, citing what he called his cousin’s “false positions on issues, poor judgment, and a poor relationship with the truth.”
Rory Kennedy said in an interview with MSNBC this month: “I love my brother, and it pains me to go against him. But I’m very concerned about the stakes in this election.”
“I’m concerned that his campaign and his candidacy as an independent will lead to the election of Trump,” he said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded to family members’ criticism of his campaign this month. sayg CNN’s Erin Burnett said, “I don’t know anyone in America who has a family that agrees with them on everything.” He reiterated that he loves his family and understands “why they don’t like me running.”
A member of a large political family said the campaign deliberately moved the event to close family members, such as several of the candidate’s sisters.
The family member cited how RFK Jr. previously deflected questions about his family’s criticism of his campaign.
“The message is clear that Bobby’s own brothers and sisters support the president,” he said.
Joseph Kennedy III was sympathetic to the security concerns his uncle raised about his denied request. Secret Service defense. The younger Kennedy said he was not aware of the specific threat assessments, but “I would like my uncle to make sure they have safety and security, just like anyone running for office. campaign.”
Voting shows Biden and Trump are headed for a neck-and-neck race, he said, and a high-profile third-party candidate like Kennedy could further undermine both candidates’ prospects. If the presidential election were held in March and the candidates were Biden, Trump, and Kennedy, Kennedy would get about 16% of the vote. according to Reuters/Ipsos poll.