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The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on Why He’s Running

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

Politics, Washington, News, Obama, Wnyc, President, Lizza, Barack, Wickenden

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2024

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has never held elected office but is related to many people who have, is emerging as a potential threat to Democrats and Republicans in the 2024 Presidential race. “There’s nothing in the United States Constitution that says that you have to go to Congress first and, then, Senate second, or be a governor before you’re elected to the Presidency,”  he told David Remnick, in July, when he was running as a Democrat. Now, as a third-party Presidential candidate, his numbers have grown in the polls—enough to push votes away from both Biden and Trump in November, especially, it seems, among younger voters. Besides his name, the seventy-year-old environmental lawyer is known as an anti-vaccine activist and a proponent of conspiracy theories. 

This election season, we’re eager to hear from you. What questions do you have? Let us know at: newyorkerradio@wnyc.org

This interview originally aired on the New Yorker Radio Hour on July 7, 2023.

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Transcript

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This is the political scene, and I'm David Remnick.

1:20.9

When I spoke with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last summer, his candidacy was very much on the

1:26.6

fringe of things. He started that campaign running as a Democrat,

1:30.6

but then he started to get a lot of attention from Barry Weiss, Joe Rogan, even Steve Bannon. Now,

1:37.5

running as an independent, Kennedy is confirmed on the ballot in Oklahoma, Utah, and the swing state of Michigan. At this point, the

1:45.9

question isn't so much whether he could be a spoiler, but whose race he might spoil. Right now,

1:52.4

roughly 30 percent of all Democratic voters say they would likely vote for RFK, and the number on the

1:57.9

Republican side is around 20%.

2:05.8

Kennedy is best known for conspiracy theories, and there are lots of them.

2:07.7

Vaccines cause autism.

2:11.3

Toxic chemicals might contribute to children becoming transgender.

2:14.6

Drugs like Prozac might cause school shootings.

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