In a daring move, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called on President Joe Biden to step down from the presidential race, in an attempt to prevent former President Donald Trump from reclaiming the presidency.
What Happened: Kennedy, despite lagging behind Biden by 30 points in recent polls, held a press conference in Brooklyn. He contended that he is the sole candidate who can defeat Trump and proposed a “No Spoiler Pledge” for Biden. This pledge would necessitate Biden’s withdrawal from the race if he underperforms Kennedy in a head-to-head poll with Trump in mid-October, reported Politico.
"We only have one chance to beat Donald Trump, and we need a nominee who can get the job done. And that would be me," Kennedy declared during his presentation.
Kennedy’s campaign manager, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, presented a poll from John Zogby Strategies as proof of their claim. The poll demonstrated Kennedy defeating Trump in a scenario without Biden or any other Democratic candidate in the race.
"Is there any scenario in which President Trump participates in the election and doesn't win it? Yes, there is exactly one. And that scenario is that President Biden acknowledges that he cannot win," Fox Kennedy stated.
However, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni dismissed Kennedy’s proposal, asserting that it is “as deeply unserious as his campaign is.”
The Kennedy campaign did not present any results for a three-way race. According to a RealClearPolitics polling average, Kennedy currently holds about 11 percent support in national polls when pitted against both Biden and Trump.
Why It Matters: The latest NBC News poll reveals that Kennedy is eroding Trump's support more than Biden's. Interestingly, a larger portion of Trump voters in the direct matchup are switching their support to Kennedy in the expanded ballot.
Former President Trump has criticized Kennedy for his environmental stances and other policies, labeling him as "the most radical left candidate in the race".
Many election polls point to a close race between Biden and Trump in the 2024 election, suggesting that Kennedy’s role in the race could be a decisive factor.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
