The Trump campaign has released a new, heavy-hitting ad focusing on independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his associations with far-left policies and political figures.
Titled “RFJ Jr: Radical Left Democrat,” the ad begins with Kennedy endorsing the idea that voter I.D. laws are racist. When asked directly by Fox News host Jesse Watters, Kennedy said “I don’t know, maybe.” He also helped author a comic book that claimed voter I.D. laws — which have overwhelming support from the public — are “racially rancid.”
It then cuts to an old clip of the independent candidate claiming that “red state people” are “more likely to murder you, to impregnate your teenage daughter, to commit a violent crime against you, to commit a nonviolent crime against you.” He also claimed that “red state people” are more likely to buy pornography and “degenerate video games like Grand Theft Auto.”
The ad then highlights Kennedy’s opposition to fossil fuels and fracking, noting that he has backed a ban on natural gas extraction in the past. “I wish that there were a law you could punish them under,” a younger Kennedy said in one clip, which was immediately followed up by a more recent one where he endorsed the Green New Deal.
Kennedy — who first ran for president as a Democrat before announcing an independent bid — has endorsed and voted for a number of prominent Democrats in the past. The new ad highlights this fact by quoting an interview between Kennedy and Sean Hannity, who listed a number of Kennedy’s past affiliations.
“You called the NRA once a terror group. You support affirmative action… Do you regret endorsing Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders over the years?” Hannity asked. “I like Bernie Sanders. I voted for Barack Obama. I don’t regret that,” Kennedy replied without hesitation.
While Trump and Kennedy have exchanged compliments in the past, the political rivalry has heated up in recent weeks. While speaking outside a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday, former President Trump told reporters that Kennedy is “not a serious candidate” before pointing to his low poll numbers.
“RFK is polling very low. He’s got to get his numbers up a lot higher before he’s credible. I don’t see him as a factor,” Trump said.