The campaign said she misrepresented her title.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential campaign posted a video urging people to vote for him to “eliminate Biden,” even if it meant electing former President Donald Trump. It was announced that the contract with the consultant in the video had been terminated.
Campaign manager Amaryllis Fox announced the decision in a post on X in response to calls from Kennedy supporters for the campaign to distance itself from consultant Rita Palma.
Video of Mr. Palma's comments galvanized Democrats online as confirmation of their accusation that the purpose of Mr. Kennedy's campaign is to return the White House to Mr. Trump over President Joe Biden. . Kennedy refuses.
“We immediately terminated her contract for misrepresentation after watching a lengthy video in which she gave inaccurate job titles and described conversations that never actually occurred,” Fox said in X. He mentioned Mr. Palma.
On Friday, while addressing a crowd in New York at an event unrelated to the campaign, Palma identified himself as the campaign's New York state secretary, according to a video of Palma's comments circulating online with the Kennedy campaign. I pretended that there was.
“My time on Team Kennedy was one of the greatest political adventures of my life, filled with some of the best people I've ever met, and I met so many people,” Palma told ABC in a text message after his firing. told the news.
“I hold no ill will and look forward to watching Bobby shine over the next seven months,” Palma wrote.
She did not answer questions about why she identified herself as the New York state director of the campaign.
Kennedy's team has already pushed back against Palma's comments in the video, which has been shared by Democratic operatives on social media and elsewhere.
At Friday's event, Palma told Kennedy supporters that even if Trump ultimately won the White House, supporting Kennedy in New York would “eliminate Biden anyway.” He said it would be certain.
“Why not vote for Bobby and at least get rid of Biden and funnel New York's 28 electors to Bobby instead of Biden, thereby reducing Biden's 270?” Palma said in the video. “And we all know how it all works out, right? 270 people win elections. If we don't get to 270, if no one gets to 270, then Congress… We elect the president, right?
“Who would a Republican Congress choose? They would choose Trump,” Palma said in the video. “So either way it would eliminate Biden.”
Kennedy's campaign manager told ABC News earlier this week that Kennedy spoke with Palma on Monday and determined he was “acting as a civilian” at a “health freedom event.”
“She is in no way speaking on behalf of the campaign,” Fox said. “She has never attended a strategy meeting or leadership meeting regarding election strategy in New York or across the country.”
