Trump respects RFK Jr. for his significant viewpoints.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump has expressed his admiration for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite their political differences.

“I have a lot of respect for him. Many people respect him. He has some very important points to make,” Trump revealed during an interview with Newsmax’s Eric Bolling on June 26.

Kennedy is one of the two candidates challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, the other being author Marianne Williamson.

Trump, who has known Kennedy for quite some time, also mentioned being impressed by Kennedy’s rising popularity in the polls.

“He’s currently at 21, 22 percent, which is a lot for someone who was initially considered to have no chance of winning,” Trump stated.

‘Big Problems’

According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls, Biden leads the Democratic primary field with 64 percent of the vote. Kennedy is a distant second with 14 percent.

However, Trump believes that Biden has “very big problems” both mentally and physically, which could impact his candidacy.

“I can’t really say for sure. The question is, will he make it to the starting gate?” Trump pondered.

Biden’s health has become a growing concern for Democrats since his 2020 election campaign. From frequent trips and falls to incoherent sentences, many doubt whether the 80-year-old is fit to hold office.

Meanwhile, Kennedy, who is 65 years old, showcased his physical fitness in a video he shared on Twitter on June 25, where he performed several shirtless pushups.

“Getting in shape for my debates with President Biden!” Kennedy humorously wrote.

This message was a playful reference to the fact that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) reportedly has “no plans” to sponsor primary debates and instead supports Biden’s reelection.

Addressing this in his Newsmax interview, Trump suggested that the Democratic Party’s decision to forgo debates was an attempt to shield Biden.

“I don’t think they’ll allow him to debate anyone. They could put up a child, and I don’t think they’ll allow it to happen,” Trump remarked.

‘Rigged’ System

Kennedy has been vocal in criticizing the DNC’s alleged plans, highlighting the already high level of distrust among voters towards the U.S. election system.

“Debates and town halls are essential components of the democratic process,” Kennedy emphasized in an interview with The Epoch Times in April. “We are living in a time when many Americans believe our democracy is broken. Both political parties need to go the extra mile to restore faith in democracy and electional integrity.”

“Americans think the entire system is rigged against them,” he added. “If the DNC goes through with its plan to eliminate debates, it will unfortunately confirm to many Americans that the system is indeed rigged.”

This isn’t the first time the DNC has faced such accusations. In 2017, the committee’s former Chairwoman Donna Brazile and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) both stated that they believed the DNC had “rigged” the 2016 Democratic primaries in favor of Hillary Clinton.

According to a June 11 USA Today/Suffolk University poll, 80 percent of Democratic primary voters believe Biden should debate his challengers, including 72 percent of his own supporters.

However, Biden has shown no interest in participating in debates.

“As you know, no incumbent Republican or Democrat has engaged in debates,” stated Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, in an interview with USA Today.

Nevertheless, according to David Paleologos, director of Suffolk’s Political Research Center, avoiding debates may not be a winning political strategy for the incumbent.

“The decision not to debate ignores the opinions of 82 percent of women, 84 percent of union members, and…