The Kennedy bidding for White House - after being disowned by the family
He thinks Bill Gates is trying to control the world through 5G, has compared Covid jab mandates to the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust and says he often has “conversations with dead people”.
Yet many are beginning to believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr will beat US President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination – and have a good chance of entering the White House next year.
The 69-year-old has long been considered a dangerous eccentric, disowned even by his family, and the least likely person to revive the Kennedys’ political fortunes.
He believes it was the CIA, not Lee Harvey Oswald, who killed his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and has made similar claims about the assassination of his father, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, in 1969.
Such bizarre outbursts led him to be dubbed the “Democrats’ Trump” when he announced his candidacy last month, to sniggers from politicians and the press.
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JFK with wife Jackie in 1960 (Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image)
front page on JFK death (Daily Mirror)But since then, just like Mr Trump, he has confounded doubters with an unexpected surge in support.
One poll last week put him at 20% among Democratic primary voters – unheard of for an outsider with nearly a year before they decide.
Another found 44% of Americans view him favourably, compared with 40% for Mr Biden, while only 22% saw him unfavourably, compared with 58% for the President.
A survey last week found 65% of US voters think 80-year-old Mr Biden is too old – a number that might increase after he fell at a graduation ceremony in Colorado on Thursday.
Douglas McKinnon, a speech writer for presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr, says he is convinced Mr Kennedy will emerge as the Democratic nominee, like Jimmy Carter did in 1976 after many dismissed his campaign as a joke.
He is not convinced Mr Biden will run for re-election but the longer he stays in the race, the more it hurts the chances of undeclared candidates such as Kamala Harris and even Michelle Obama.
Dad Robert Kennedy (Popperfoto/Getty Images)He says: “As Biden lets other potential candidates twist in the wind, Mr Kennedy continues to criss-cross the nation taking almost every media opportunity given to him.”
Mr McKinnon believes Mr Kennedy is winning supporters by speaking about issues most voters want addressed, and making inroads with Black and Hispanic voters.
He also says he is benefiting from his reputation as a pariah shunned by the political establishment.
Mr McKinnon adds: “Americans are going to be very open to hearing Kennedy’s voice as he barnstorms the nation in the face of a liberal media blackout.
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“Kennedy’s ‘ace in the hole’ may very well be his simplified campaign message: ‘Tell the truth’.”
His increasing stature will shine a light on his personal life, in which he faces claims of being a womaniser.
Joe Biden takes tumble on Thursday (AP)The environmental lawyer is married to his third wife, Cheryl Hines, an actress in hit comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm.
He married her two years after serving divorce papers on his second wife Mary in 2012 – the mother of four of his six kids.
Two days later she was found hanged, reportedly convinced he had been having an affair.
Mr Kennedy is said to have proposed to Mary while still married to his first wife, Emily Black, who he divorced in 1994. In 2013, the New York Post got a copy of one of his diaries from 2001, where he described his battle with “lust demons”. It included a scorecard of more than 24 sexual conquests racked up behind Mary’s back.
Mr Kennedy is also known as one of the top “superspreaders” of conspiracy theories.
An analysis of his online posts containing verified misinformation found they achieved a greater level of impact than anyone else’s.
President after fall (AP)They include bogus claims linking childhood jabs with autism, false allegations against Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the threat from 5G telecom networks.
Last year Mr Kennedy apologised for implying Anne Frank had more freedom in hiding from the Nazis than people have today under vaccination policies. He also recently claimed he has “a lot of conversations” with his murdered dad and uncle about his presidential goal.
Unsurprisingly, the Kennedys have been quick to distance themselves from his bid for the White House.
His sister Kerry has slammed his “lies and fear-mongering”. And his siblings Kathleen and Joseph, along with his niece Maeve, wrote an article saying: “We love Robert F. Kennedy Jr, but he is part of a misinformation campaign that’s having heartbreaking – and deadly – consequences.”
Unrepentant and growing in confidence, RFK could have the last laugh – with a real possibility the US will have to choose between two “Trumps” in 2024.
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