Former White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, has voiced her apprehension over the potential impact of independent candidate Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.'s campaign on President Joe Biden's reelection bid.
Psaki's concern is that Kennedy's candidacy could pose a greater threat to Biden than former President Donald Trump.
According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, Biden holds a 6% lead over Trump in a two-way race in Wisconsin. However, when third-party candidates like Kennedy, who garnered 12% support, are factored in, the race becomes almost a tie. Psaki referenced this poll, expressing skepticism that Kennedy's candidacy would only detract from Trump's support.
"There was a Quinnipiac poll this week where if he is in the race and on the ballot in Wisconsin, he gets 12% of the vote," Psaki stated. "So, polls are imperfect, theyre testing a moment in time, but dead worms, conspiracy theories, mercury, all these things aside my larger point here is that this man is a real threat."
She further added, "I understand that theres polling that suggests that he would only hurt Donald Trump. I dont buy that. I dont buy it."
Since Kennedy switched his party affiliation from Democrat to independent in October, most polls have indicated that he poses a greater threat to Biden than to Trump. However, recent polls suggest that Kennedy's independent candidacy is also hindering Trump. In response, Biden's campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and other groups have launched efforts to counter Kennedy's campaign, fearing that he could erode more support from Biden's base than from Trump's.
The 2016 defeat of Hillary Clinton is often attributed to the presence of Green Party candidate Jill Stein on the ballot in key swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which Trump won by less than a point.
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