The grandson of President John F. Kennedy on Friday known as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential marketing campaign a “shame”, turning into the most recent member of the legendary Kennedy household to denounce the Democratic presidential rival Biden.
Jack Schlossberg, grandson of the previous president and son of Caroline Kennedy, Biden’s ambassador to Australia, made the announcement in a 1-minute, 50-second video on social media.
Mr. Kennedy, mentioned Mr. Schlossberg, “trades Camelot, superstar conspiracy theories and conflicts for private achieve and glory.”
He continued, “I do know him. I do not know why anybody thinks he needs to be president. What I do know is that his candidacy is troublesome. Let’s not once more be distracted by somebody’s immodest venture. I’m excited to vote for Joe Biden in my state main and once more within the normal election.”
Mr. Schlossberg, who didn’t reply to messages on Friday, has by no means run for public workplace, however he spoke alongside his mom in a video recorded for the 2020 Democratic Nationwide Conference.
Various members of the Kennedy household have condemned Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign in latest days, impressed by his suggestion, captured on video and revealed by The New York Put up, that the coronavirus was “ethnically focused” to spare Jews and Chinese language.
His sister Kerry Kennedy known as the remarks “deplorable and unfaithful”, and his brother Joseph Kennedy II informed The Boston Globe that “his remarks under no circumstances mirror the phrases and actions of our father, Robert F. Kennedy.”
Former Consultant Joseph Kennedy III tweeted“I unequivocally condemn what he mentioned.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t reply to messages on Friday, nor did his marketing campaign spokesman. On Twitter, he defended himself in opposition to what he known as “false accusations of anti-Semitism” whereas highlighting help from conservative information shops.
Mr. Kennedy has referred to his household’s legacy all through his marketing campaign. This month he posted a video from Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, detailing the historical past of the Kennedy household on Cape Cod.
Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign raised greater than $6.3 million from April to June and had $4.5 million in money on the finish of June, in response to a quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Fee final week.
On Friday, one of many supercommittees supporting Mr. Kennedy’s candidacy mentioned it had raised greater than $16.25 million since its founding this spring, together with $5 million throughout Mr. Kennedy’s speech Thursday on Capitol Hill.
The Biden marketing campaign and the Democratic Nationwide Committee have taken a hands-off stance on Mr. Kennedy and his marketing campaign. The marketing campaign relies on the idea that the extra Democratic voters hear from Mr. Kennedy, the much less they may like him.
Certainly, Democratic main voters appear to be much less favorable to Mr. Kennedy as he spreads misinformation and espouses right-wing causes. His approval ranking in Democratic main polls, as soon as as excessive as 20 p.c, has fallen.
A Quinnipiac College ballot of Democrats launched this week confirmed Biden main Kennedy 71% to 14%. Solely 21 p.c of Democrats view Mr. Kennedy favorably, in contrast with 47 p.c who view him unfavorably.
Mr. Kennedy’s efficiency within the polls could also be tied to the will of some Democrats to seek out a substitute for Mr. Biden: A ballot launched late final month by Echelon Insights, a Republican polling agency, confirmed that Democrats’ help for Mr. Kennedy was as a lot within the face-to-face confrontation with Mr. Biden as that of Matthew McConaughey, a politically engaged actor who just isn’t operating for president.
Rebecca Davis O’Brien made a report.
