RFK Jr. talks about father’s assassination and supports Second Amendment at town hall.

“We need to talk. We need to have conversations with people from a wide range of views.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced his intention to run against President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, fifty-five years after his father was shot after a presidential campaign speech. Speaking at a town hall event in suburban Philadelphia, Kennedy recounted the night his father was shot and killed, and the procession that followed from New York City to Washington D.C. He hopes to “bridge this toxic polarization that is really destroying our country and tearing us apart.”

Kennedy believes that his campaign, which he calls a “peaceful insurgency,” will appeal to conservative Republicans, independents, moderates, and liberal Democrats. He notes that his father had the ability to unite people from different ethnic backgrounds and walks of life, and that he would like to do the same.

The Competition

Kennedy is not expected to receive support from the Democratic National Committee, who have already pledged their full support to President Biden. Kennedy believes that Biden owes the American people a debate with Democratic primary candidates, but acknowledges that it is a strategic decision for him. Polling has shown Kennedy with as much as 19 percent support in the Democratic presidential primary.

Kennedy’s Policy Views

Kennedy differs from President Biden and progressive Democrats on multiple issues. He is a vocal advocate about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine for some in the population who were forced to take them, and vaccines in general. He is also a vocal opponent of the pharmaceutical industry. When asked about his stance on the Second Amendment, he said, “I believe in the Constitution and I’m not going to take everybody’s guns away.”

Kennedy believes that the crisis at the border needs to be stopped and that the border needs to be sealed. He also shares a stance about abortion that aligns with the Biden administration. “I don’t think there’s anybody I can argue there’s nobody in this country that has worked harder for the rights of medical freedom and personal bodily autonomy than me,” Kennedy said. “That applies to the vaccines and abortion.”

Conclusion

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hopes to unite the American people and bridge the toxic polarization that is tearing the country apart. He believes that conversations with people from a wide range of views are necessary to persuade and bring people together. While he differs from President Biden and progressive Democrats on multiple issues, he hopes to appeal to conservative Republicans, independents, moderates, and liberal Democrats.