RFK Jr. declares independent 2024 presidential run, raises millions more
By Jarrett Renshaw
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist and son of the former senator, announced on Monday in Philadelphia that he is dropping his Democratic Party bid for president and will run as an independent.
Kennedy sought to cast himself as a unifier and a voice for voters who are fed up with the United States' partisan divides and vitriol, calling them a hurdle for improving the country.
«People stop me everywhere, in airports and hotels and on the street. And they remind me that this country is ready for a history making change… I'm here today I'm here to declare myself an independent candidate,» Kennedy told a crowd of several hundred gathered in front of the National Constitution Center.
American Values 2024, a super-PAC supporting the candidate, has raised $17 million, co-founder Tony Lyons told Reuters at the event, an increase from about $10 million reported in July. He expects $10 million more after the announcement, he said.
Kennedy's announcement complicates a 2024 race heading toward a rematch between President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner in opinion polls. Both remain unpopular with a large sections of the American public.
Kennedy's siblings — Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy and Joseph Kennedy II — on Monday denounced their brother's candidacy in a statement: «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.»
COULD DRAW VOTES FROM BOTH BIDEN AND TRUMP
Kennedy's combination of deep-pocketed backers, famous name and lack of enthusiasm for Trump or Biden, could give his campaign heft,
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