Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is getting the piñata treatment from his rivals in his independent bid for the White House.
Allies of President Biden and former President Donald Trump are whacking Mr. Kennedy from every angle to poke holes in his candidacy.
The Democratic National Committee warned voters Monday that Mr. Kennedy cannot be trusted on the issue of abortion.
A little over an hour later the pro-Trump Make America Great Again super PAC, sounded the alarm on Mr. Kennedy’s record on voter ID laws.
They are the latest signs that both of the major political parties are worried that Mr. Kennedy — the son of the late U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy — could capture enough votes to tilt the election away from them.
“Like Donald Trump, RFK Jr. can’t be trusted to stand up for reproductive freedom,” DNC spokesperson Lis Smith said in an email blast. “He’s said he would sign a national abortion ban and has repeatedly dismissed the importance of abortion rights on the campaign trail.”
The statement came in response to a report in The Washington Post that said Mr. Kennedy has been coy about the thorny issue, which has been a driving force in recent elections.
Mr. Kennedy’s campaign said he is focused on issues that unite the country, not issues such as abortion that divide Americans.
The Make America Great Again PAC, meanwhile, circulated a report from Fox News that highlighted instances where Mr. Kennedy spoke out against forcing people to show proof of identification before they cast a vote.
This included him likening voter ID laws to Jim Crow laws and saying Republicans were trying to make it harder for Black people to vote.
Polls have sent mixed signals about Mr. Kennedy’s impact on the race. Some show he pulls more support from Mr. Biden but others show he pulls more support from Mr. Trump.
Looking to take some wind out of his sails, Mr. Biden last week had a campaign event to tout the endorsements of over a dozen members of the Kennedy family.
Mr. Kennedy’s sister Kerry said Mr. Biden was “my hero.”
“We want to make crystal clear our feelings that the best way forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years,” she said.
Mr. Kennedy, over the weekend, said he still loves his family.
“Some of them don’t like the fact that I’m running,” Mr. Kennedy said.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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