Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of former President Donald Trump has sparked a wave of reactions from the mainstream media, who warn that the move could significantly boost Trump's chances of winning the 2024 presidential election.
CNN anchor Erin Burnett has raised concerns about the potential impact of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of former President Donald Trump on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Burnett noted that Kennedy had consistently polled at around 5-6% in swing states, suggesting that his endorsement could sway the election in Trump's favor.
"The latest swing state polls show Kennedy with five or six percent of the vote," Burnett told CNN viewers. "And so, when you think about it overall, and they say 'Well, that's not a big deal.' Actually, if that is the case in swing states, it is huge. It is everything. It is more than the margin between Harris and Trump in some of those same states."
RFK Jr.'s Trump Endorsement: A Boost for Former President's Re-election Campaign?
Kennedy's endorsement of Trump has been met with significant criticism from mainstream media outlets, who argue that he has betrayed the legacy of his family by aligning himself with the former president. The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty blasted Kennedy in an opinion piece, accusing him of betraying the Kennedy legacy and casting aside the principles for which generations of Kennedys have stood.
"His bizarre campaign for president this year — with its revelations that he had a dead worm in his brain and once left the carcass of a bear cub in Central Park — was an embarrassment," Tumulty wrote. "But his announcement on Friday that he would ‘throw my support’ to Donald Trump in battleground states represents a betrayal of a higher order."
RFK Jr.'s Trump Endorsement: A Boost for Former President's Re-election Campaign?
The Post's Alexandra Petri mocked Kennedy in a satirical column written from the perspective of the parasite that the candidate claimed to have living in his head. The column lambasted Kennedy for his lack of seriousness and his willingness to abandon his principles to support Trump.
Politico published a listicle of the "7 weirdest moments from RFK Jr.’s long-shot campaign," highlighting Kennedy's bizarre behavior and controversial statements during his run for the presidency.
RFK Jr.'s Trump Endorsement: A Boost for Former President's Re-election Campaign?
Cable TV pundits have also criticized Kennedy's endorsement of Trump, with MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan arguing that it will benefit the former president by bringing back far-right voters who had been drawn to Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance. Hasan also mocked Kennedy for calling Trump the worst president of his lifetime and then endorsing him for a second term.
CNN host Erin Burnett, while not mocking Kennedy, warned that his endorsement could have a significant impact on the election, potentially lowering the Democratic Party's chances of winning the White House in November.
RFK Jr.'s Trump Endorsement: A Boost for Former President's Re-election Campaign?
"It is something that you can't underestimate," Burnett said. "It is not insignificant, because when you look around and you see what those numbers really are, you say, 'Okay, they may not be off the charts, but in swing states, if that five or six percent remains, that is it. That is the difference.'"
