Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the subject of some notable new ads — from a group with Republican ties and on a topic that has become one of the Democratic Party’s key campaign issues.
According to the Federal Election Commission, a new group called “SAG PAC” was created in June. It has yet to report details of any of its donors, but it is already running online ads, spending more than $137,000 on Google platforms so far, according to the platform’s ad disclosure portal.
The YouTube ads feature images of Kennedy next to banners reading “pro-choice” and “progressive Democrat.” Meanwhile, a narrator says, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to restore abortion rights nationally,” adding, “He fought for abortion rights for a long time. That’s the real RFK.”
The color scheme and tone of the ads is cheerful. The group behind the ads has Republican ties. His bank account is at Chain Bridge Bank in Virginia Cornered the banking market for Republican campaigns and PACs, including former President Donald Trump. (A pro-Kennedy super PAC also used Chain Bridge Bank, while Kennedy’s campaign used Amalgamated Bank, long favored by Democratic campaigns.)
SAG PAC’s treasurer is Charles Gantt, who is listed in FEC filings as the same position for numerous PACs supporting Republican candidates.
Advertisements, concentrated in five swing statesIt comes amid a heated battle for support in the 2024 presidential race — and questions about whether having Kennedy on the ballot will have more of an impact on Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Trump’s potential base.
By calling Kennedy “pro-choice,” the ad is designed to sway conservative voters who might be interested in Kennedy or attract voters who might vote for Harris.
Two before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race NBC News national polls showed Kennedy gets more support than Trump, but other polls have shown Kennedy, a longtime Democrat whose father ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968, has more support for Biden. Meanwhile, new polling for the Harris-Trump race suggests that the new match encourages more voters to choose the candidate of the major party.
in an interview with CBS News aired on FridayKennedy said he told Trump their time met in Milwaukee last week he received more support from her than from the Democrats.
“I hope to get votes from both of them,” Kennedy said. “Right now, I’m getting more votes from President Trump than Democrats… He’s not happy. Actually, in fact, [at] RNC, I said it when I saw it. And he said, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do something about it.’
Kennedy’s campaign is currently on the ballot in 13 states, according to an NBC News analysis of his ballot access efforts. He aims to be on the ballot in all 50 states in November.
The ad’s focus on abortion rights highlights an issue on which Kennedy stands hesitated during the election campaign. His campaign has retracted his interview answers on abortion policy on two different occasions, including in May after Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, was surprised by comments Kennedy made to the same podcast host about abortion.
Gantt did not respond to questions about the new PAC and ads. Rahna Epting, executive director of the liberal group MoveOn, which supports Harris, said the digital ads were “a sad and desperate attempt by Trump allies to weaponize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” He added: “The stakes are too high for any progressive to vote for a third-party spoiler over Vice President Harris this November.”