RFK Jr. Refutes Claims That He Courted Harris

Multiple outlets are reporting that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has offered Kamala Harris an endorsement in exchange for a potential cabinet slot or other position in her administration. The Telegraph said that Kennedy tried to arrange a meeting with Harris, and she declined his offer. The paper also noted that Kennedy had previously reached out to the Biden and Trump campaigns. 

The Telegraph cited a Washington Post report that Kennedy called the rebuff by Harris a "strategic mistake," commenting, “I think they ought to be looking at every opportunity. I think it is going to be a very close race.” The Telegraph piece also stated that Kennedy spokesperson Stefanie Spear said the candidate was “willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government.”

For his part, RFK Jr. is denying that he made overtures to Harris and took to X Thursday morning to drive his point home:

VP Harris’s Democratic Party would be unrecognizable to my father and uncle and I cannot reconcile it with my values.

The Democratic Party of RFK and JFK was the party of civil liberties and free speech. VP Harris‘s is the party of censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion.…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 15, 2024

You can read the full post if you want to expand it, but the crux of RFK Jr.'s claim is that the Democratic Party under his uncle and father was the antithesis of the party under Harris and Company. Some excerpts include:

Kennedy Democrats were anti-war. Kamala‘s is riddled with neocon warmongers.

The RFK/JFK dems were allies of Main Street, cops, firefighters, and working people. VP Harris’s is the Party of Big Tech, Big Pharma and Wall Street.

My dad and uncle’s party was the champion of voting rights and fair elections. VP Harris’s is the party of lawfare, disenfranchisement, and the coronation of its candidates by corporate donors and party elites.

 I’ve used our nation’s courts to prosecute corporations who hurt Black Americans. VP Harris used our nation’s courts to mercilessly prosecute Black Americans and exploit them for their labor.

He concludes by stating, "I have no plans to endorse Kamala Harris for President. I do have a plan to defeat her.”

Because I applied for press credentials for a Kennedy rally last fall, I am on the campaign's mailing list. Like most candidates, the emails usually appeal for money. Along with Kennedy hats, shirts, stickers, bags, coasters, etc., big donors can get a ride on Kennedy's yacht, a day of falconry or hiking with the candidate, or a Zoom call with a famous chef. I own a Kennedy button, but that is because they were giving them away for free at the event and I wanted a souvenir. On Wednesday, I received a missive from the campaign that said Kennedy was going to fight the decision to kick him off the ballot in New York. 

Kennedy said:

Judge Ryba’s ruling is an assault on New York voters who signed in record numbers to place me on their ballot. The Democratic Party is unrecognizable to me. The party of my father and uncle’s time was committed to expanding voters’ rights and understood that competition at the ballot box is an essential part of American Democracy. The DNC is now a party that uses lawfare in place of the democratic election process.

So he intends to soldier on. 

The rally in Salt Lake took place in a bar that was serving drinks, which is always an attraction for writers. The event included classic rock and disco and a broad spectrum of people in attendance. There were people in suits, beanies, cowboy hats, casual and streetwear. There was even one woman in pink pajamas and bedazzled Crocs. 

Kennedy came out to the world as the scion of a legendary clan and a D.C. outsider with a populist appeal that had the crowd, which was fairly diverse, particularly for Salt Lake, amped up and ready to campaign hard. Part of it was the historic name, although his ability to mix environmental concerns with attacks on BlackRock and Big Pharma resonated with the attendees. 

But the Kennedy name does not carry the cachet that it once did. Democrats see RFK Jr. as a gadfly, a potential vote drain, and a nuisance, and his stances on the environment and abortion are left-leaning enough to make him unappealing to the majority of conservatives. And he has spent a great deal of time and money on the campaign and on getting on state ballots. That said, it would not surprise me in the least if he was hedging his bets trying to hitch his wagon to a "brighter star."