[News Figures] The 'Third Candidate' Who Made Both Biden and Trump Nervous, Kennedy Junior

Three-Way Race Poll Shows 20% Support
Attention on Whether It Will Shake Up Next Year's US Presidential Election
Former Democratic Party Member Announces Independent Candidacy in October

"I hereby declare that I will run as an independent candidate today (October 10th, last year)."

With less than a year remaining until the U.S. presidential election on November 5th next year (local time), a figure has emerged who is making both leading candidates, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, nervous. That person is Robert Kennedy Jr., a member of the prestigious political Kennedy family. Although he is from the Democratic Party, he declared his independent candidacy just a month ago and has since appeared in major polls as a strong rival threatening both the current and former presidents.

Attorney Robert Kennedy Jr. [Photo by Reuters]

According to a major foreign news outlet and the adult poll results released by Ipsos on the 15th, when asked who they would vote for if President Biden, former President Trump, and attorney Kennedy Jr. ran for president, 20% of respondents chose attorney Kennedy Jr.

What is noteworthy here is the change in approval ratings for the current and former presidents. In a two-person race poll, the two each received approval ratings of 51% versus 49%. However, when the race shifted to a three-person contest, their approval ratings dropped to 32% and 30%, respectively. Considering that 8% responded they would not vote and 10% said they did not know or refused to answer, attorney Kennedy Jr. simultaneously pulled down the approval ratings of both President Biden and former President Trump, posing a threat to both.

In a situation where criticism is pouring in that the obvious two candidates, President Biden and former President Trump, are having a "return match," attorney Kennedy Jr. has become the leading figure of the "third-party candidate." Upon declaring his independent candidacy, he emphasized, "The Democratic Party fears I will ruin Biden’s election, and the Republican Party fears I will ruin Trump’s election. That’s right. My intention is to ruin both of them."

Did a Democrat win over Republican voters?

Attorney Kennedy Jr. can shake both leading candidates because he is a unique figure who is a Democrat yet has captured the hearts of Republican voters at the same time.

Robert Kennedy Jr. speaking at an anti-vaccine rally in April 2015 [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

As a lawyer and environmental activist, he has drawn global attention due to his controversial anti-vaccine activism. In 2005, he actively advocated the claim that vaccines cause autism, which became problematic. At that time, he even wrote opinion pieces for Rolling Stone magazine, but these claims were scientifically flawed and the articles were removed online.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he frequently shared inaccurate information about vaccines, leading to the suspension of his social media accounts. He acted almost like a far-right politician. He also supported conspiracy theories during the pandemic, alleging that former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were trying to profit from vaccines.

Due to these actions, he lost the support of Democratic voters but gained favor among Republicans. In April, attorney Kennedy Jr. declared his candidacy as a Democratic candidate and criticized President Biden and the current Democratic leadership. Former President Trump even said as recently as September, "I like him a lot. I have known him for a long time."

However, that does not mean the Republican Party welcomes him unconditionally. When he declared his independent candidacy, the Republican National Committee issued a statement titled "23 Reasons to Oppose Him," pointing out his past actions such as opposing fossil fuel extraction. While some Republicans like his actions, his running as an independent and becoming a rival is an uncomfortable factor for the Republican Party.

Why did his siblings issue a critical statement right after his candidacy announcement?

Attorney Kennedy Jr. is a member of the prestigious American political Kennedy family. He is the fourth person from the Kennedy family to run for president. Including his uncle Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., who was not nominated as the Democratic candidate in 1976, he is the fifth.

However, due to his unique background, the Kennedy family has distanced themselves from him. Born in 1954 and now 69 years old, Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and the son of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was also assassinated in 1968. He is the third of eleven siblings.

Among his siblings, four?Lori Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend?issued an official statement on the 10th of last month after attorney Kennedy Jr. declared his independent candidacy, attempting to stop his run. They said, "'Bobby' (Kennedy Jr.'s nickname) shares our father's name but does not share the same values, vision, or judgment. We strongly criticize his candidacy and believe it would be very dangerous for our country."

Additionally, Kennedy Jr.'s cousin Caroline Kennedy is currently the U.S. ambassador to Australia, his aunt Victoria Reggie Kennedy is the U.S. ambassador to Austria, and his nephew Joe Kennedy is serving as a special envoy to Northern Ireland. They are working in the current administration, which Kennedy Jr. has strongly criticized.

Attorney Kennedy Jr. was also a troublemaker in his youth. It is said that he was arrested for marijuana possession during his school years and was expelled from boarding school. Nevertheless, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American history and literature from Harvard University in 1976, studied at the London School of Economics, and received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982.

In 1982, he began working as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan but failed the bar exam the following year. He was later arrested for drug overdose and heroin possession, resulting in community service and two years of probation. He passed the New York State bar exam in 1985 and thereafter lived as a lawyer and environmental activist.

Attorney Kennedy Jr. has been married three times and has six children.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

"Return match is boring"... Third-party candidate rises rapidly

As attorney Kennedy Jr. begins to attract significant attention in polls, the world is closely watching how the U.S. presidential race will unfold. Although his chances of winning the presidency immediately are not high, he is in a position to siphon support from leading candidates, making both major parties watch his moves carefully.

Some have evaluated that he has the potential to become the most supported independent candidate since businessman Ross Perot, who ran in 1992 and garnered about 19% of the vote. At the same time, there are concerns that it is difficult to assess his potential as a presidential candidate at this point.

Besides attorney Kennedy Jr., other third-party candidates gaining presence include Black social activist and progressive theologian Cornel West (70), who was mentioned as a progressive Green Party candidate; Jill Stein (73), who ran twice as a Green Party candidate; and Senator Joe Manchin (76) of West Virginia, a prominent Democrat often called the "opposition within the ruling party." These candidates are threatening the re-election paths of the current and former presidents.