American Values, the leading super PAC supporting Kennedy’s candidacy, used the $7 million TV spend to invoke his Democratic family’s imprint on politics. The ad was complete with music and strikingly similar images to former President Kennedy’s — his late uncle — 1960 campaign.
The surprise ad angered prominent Kennedy family members, drew criticism from political pundits and cast additional scrutiny over the actions of the super PAC. The super PAC is also facing a complaint from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) alleging illegal coordination with his campaign.
The 70-year-old Kennedy sought to distance himself from the ad in his statement. But he also left the 30-second ad pinned to the top of his X feed, which — according to public analytics — was seen by nearly 3 million people on the social media platform by Monday morning.
Kennedy has upset Democrats who see him as a possible spoiler for Biden. Some Republicans also worry he could take votes away from Trump.
But the candidate has faced questions over whether he will appear on enough ballots to actually make a difference. Kennedy is overseeing an ongoing ballot access effort across the country, including in battleground states where, if successful, he could end up tilting the election’s results in November.
Many Democrats are skeptical that his signature attempts will work, but the expansive nature of it caught the attention of the DNC, which contends he is working alongside the American Values PAC to aid the effort. If proven, it would be illegal — something Kennedy’s campaign vehemently denies.
The Hill’s Hanna Trudo has more here.
