Trump dismisses RFK Jr as a ‘wasted protest vote’ following strong support from independents

Donald Trump has launched a series of attacks against independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, as recent polling suggests that Kennedy is drawing support from potential Trump voters. Trump took to Truth Social to falsely claim that Kennedy is a “Democratic plant” working to help President Joe Biden win, and that his views on vaccines are “fake.”

The sudden barrage of attacks comes after polls from Quinnipiac, Marist, and NBC News indicated that Kennedy’s campaign is impacting Trump’s support. NBC News polling shows that when Kennedy is included in match-ups between Trump and Biden, Biden takes the lead. Marist polling also shows an increase in support for Kennedy among independents.

Trump urged Republican voters not to support Kennedy, labeling him as “anti-gun,” an “extreme environmentalist,” an “open border advocate,” and “anti-military.” However, Kennedy has expressed opposition to gun control, supports border security, and has a stance on environmental legislation that is less strict than Biden’s.

Kennedy responded to Trump’s attacks on Twitter, calling them a “barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims.” He challenged Trump to a debate on stage rather than resorting to social media attacks.

Kennedy, a member of the famous Kennedy family, launched his presidential campaign last April as a Democrat before switching to an independent. Despite the backlash from his family, he continues to campaign for the presidency.