Republicans see Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Democratic primary challenge as a boon for their side as he threatens to further blunt President Biden and promote controversial views that have been embraced by the right.
While Democrats largely disregard Kennedy’s dark-horse bid, a growing chorus within the GOP sees him as useful in their efforts to cause problems for the party in control of the White House.
Some Republicans believe he’s helping expose Biden’s flaws early in the nominating contest and hoping that will leave him more vulnerable to their attacks in the general election.
“The more chatter about Kennedy is just bad for Biden,” said Brian Seitchik, a Republican operative who previously worked on former President Trump’s campaign but is no longer supporting him. “There’s an alternative out there with a serious name.”
Trump, who many lawmakers and leaders in both parties believe is poised to face Biden again in November, is the highest profile Republican to lavish praise on the Democratic political heir. Trump focused on his personal experience with Kennedy and also sought to dispel one of his biggest criticisms: that he is too conspiratorial to capture the presidency.
“He’s been very nice to me. I’ve had a very nice relationship with him over the years,” Trump said during an appearance on “The Howie Carr Show.”
“He’s a common-sense guy, and so am I.”
Those who know the former president suggest he’s been strategic in his compliments of other candidates, especially when it could help knock Biden down.
“Certainly, Trump understands how to get folks to chase the rabbit around the track,” Seitchik said. “Any attention for Kennedy is good for Republicans.”
Kennedy’s quick climb in polls has intrigued Republicans for a number of reasons. For one, he appeals to a faction of the right that likes to buck things such as vaccine mandates and raise questions about the pharmaceutical industry writ large. They also like that he has cast skepticism on government agencies and the media.
He’s not afraid to oppose establishment Democrats on foreign policy either, going against Biden on Ukraine. But he also equally irks progressives for being hawkish and conspiratorial on China. “We know that the Chinese are developing ethnic bioweapons. Bioweapons that are designed to attack people of certain racial types,” he said in a segment on Newsmax recently.
Throughout his campaign messaging and on social media, Kennedy has promoted his version of a dystopian Democratic Party that has worked hard to quash alternative views on sensitive issues.
Some see his stances as a mixed bag of conspiracies and Trump-aligned conservatism, with a well-recognizable Democratic brand name to run on. The whole nature of his bid has added an element of confusion for Democrats that Republicans seem to delight in.
The thinking isn’t that Kennedy, who despite his rise is still trailing Biden, is likely to clinch the nomination or presidency. It’s more that his controversial bid could make Biden seem more at risk as the de facto frontrunner.
“RFK’s policies are less important than just the fact that he’s running,” said David Carney, a veteran Republican strategist based in New Hampshire. “He’ll unveil just how weak Biden is.”
Kennedy’s team views his endpoint much differently. They see their campaign as having only two missions: to beat Biden for the Democratic nomination and to crush the GOP rival in the general election.
“We are not trying to weaken Biden, we are going to defeat Biden,” a spokesperson for the Kennedy press office told The Hill when reached for comment. “Then we will go on to defeat Donald Trump, or whomever the Republican nominee is.”
But in just a few short weeks, the environmental lawyer and anti-vaxxer has made a point to appeal to both sides. Despite running as a Democrat from a prominent political family, he’s been a frequent guest on some of the most fervent pro-Trump and right-wing news channels, such as Newsmax. He has offered kind words to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, going so far as to defend him when Carlson left the network earlier this year.
“After the election’s over, he could get a Fox News contributorship, if that’s what he’s looking for,” said John Thomas, a Republican strategist and veteran campaign operative.
While some theories on government transparency and secrecy are important to both the left and right, progressives don’t see Kennedy the way Republicans do. Even many who are dissatisfied with Biden don’t view his bid as a good thing. Most progressives believe that if he ultimately tarnishes the president, Republicans will be the beneficiaries.
There are also indications that some of those trying to prop up his candidacy are aligned with the GOP.
Members involved with a pro-Kennedy super PAC, for example, are also linked to prominent controversial right-wing figures including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and George Santos (R-N.Y.), according to a report from Rolling Stone. The political action committee, called “Heal the Divide,” sounds like a riff on Biden’s famous 2020 pledge to “heal” the “soul of the nation” from Trumpism.
Those who aren’t spending money are using their platforms to amplify his message. Kennedy burst onto the scene in earnest when Elon Musk, who now owns Twitter, hosted him for an open chat earlier this month, which became a forum to share their mutual admiration. Musk has drawn frequent criticism from those on the left.
“What the Biden administration should be doing is kicking the snot out of RFK,” Thomas said. “They’re giving him free roam to occupy this element that’s upset with whatever the status quo is.”
“It’s what Trump has done really well,” he added.