CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten suggested on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s criticism of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is weakening his standing among Republican voters.
Trump’s lead against Biden grows among likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina when Kennedy and other third-party candidates are included on the ballot, according to a May poll by The Cook Political Report/BSG/GS Strategy Group. Enten on “CNN News Central” suggested that Kennedy’s growing unpopularity with Republican voters is due to the former president attacking him, such as characterizing him as radically left-wing.
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“It’s actually Republicans who seem to be more on the RFK Jr. bandwagon,” Enten said. “That’s why this slide is so important. What you see here is that GOP views of RFK Jr. back in November of 2023, 41% favorable rating. Now, just 31%, the unfavorable rating goes from 22% to 30%. It seems like Donald Trump’s attacks on RFK Jr. are working.”
Trump called Kennedy “a Democrat ‘Plant,’” and “‘a Radical Left Liberal’” in an April Truth Social post, claiming he’s “been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected. A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him. Junior’ is totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist who makes the Green New Scammers look Conservative, a Big Time Taxer and Open Border Advocate, and Anti-Military/Vet…”
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki in May voiced concern that Kennedy’s candidacy could damage President Joe Biden’s reelection chances more than former Trump’s.
“I understand that there’s polling that suggests that he would only hurt Donald Trump,” she said. “I don’t buy that. I don’t buy it.”
Polling has largely suggested Kennedy is more of a threat to Biden than Trump after the candidate switched his party affiliation from Democrat to independent in October, but some recent polls have indicated the independent is hampering the former president’s candidacy. Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and other entities have launched efforts to counter Kennedy’s campaign because o
