(NewsNation) — As the presidential campaign continues, independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is attracting voters from both sides of the aisle, posing a potential threat to both other candidates.
Kennedy initially ran as a Democrat, but switched to running as an independent. Challenging both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, he is appealing to voters who aren't looking for a repeat of 2020.
attract voters from both sides
Both camps are paying close attention to Mr. Kennedy's movements, fearing that he will lose votes, especially in key battleground states where the margin of victory is narrow.
Earlier this year, Trump supporters felt that Trump was more aligned with them than other Republican primary challengers, so if Trump did not win the Republican nomination, Kennedy He said he would consider supporting the project.
Other voters, including those on the left, expressed concerns about Biden's age. The president has also lost support among young voters and voters of color over his handling of the war in Gaza.
President Kennedy has been criticized for several controversial positions, including his anti-vaccine stance and support for incorporating unproven holistic and alternative therapies into medicine.
He is not strictly aligned with either party, as he supports not only Republican positions such as building a border wall, but also traditional Democratic positions such as support for gun control.
Trump, Biden continue to lead
For now, Trump and Biden remain the front-runners, with Trump at 41.6%, Biden at 41.1% and Kennedy at 7.2%, based on an average of recent polls.
However, Mr. Kennedy continues to work toward getting votes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and is hopeful of securing the presidency.
Kennedy is also working to participate in the first of two presidential debates on June 27th. He said he was in talks with debate organizers and said there are currently only two candidates who meet the criteria: Trump and Biden.
Kennedy disagrees.
“There are FEC rules that say you can't enter into an agreement that excludes one candidate from the platform,” he said at a rally in Denver, Colorado. “So I'm confident that CNN will deliver on its promise to put everyone who meets that criteria on that stage.”
To participate, the network said, a candidate must win enough votes to win 270 electoral votes and at least four separate national polls that meet CNN's reporting standards by June 20. The candidate must receive at least 15% of the votes.
Kennedy called Biden a “spoiler” for his campaign and said neither Trump nor Biden can unite the country.
