(DCWatchdog.com) – CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten revealed that former President Donald Trump’s attacks on independent presidential candidate RFK Jr. are working as they are hurting Kennedy’s popularity among GOP voters.
The Cook Political Report/BSG/GS Strategy Group released a poll in May that showed Trump’s lead against Biden increased among likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina when Kennedy and other third-party candidates were on the ballot.
Enten, on “CNN News Central,” noted that Kennedy’s decline in favorability among Republicans might be due to Trump’s attacks, where he painted Kennedy as radically left-wing.
“It’s actually Republicans who seem to be more on the RFK Jr. bandwagon,” CNN reporter said.
He showed a slide where it can be appreciated that GOP views of RFK Jr. back in November of 2023, 41% favorable rating. He emphasized that at the time, just 31%, the unfavorable rating goes from 22% to 30%.
“It seems like Donald Trump’s attacks on RFK Jr. are working,” he asserted.
Moreover, Trump labeled Kennedy “a Democrat ‘Plant,’” and “‘a Radical Left Liberal’” in an April Truth Social post, claiming he’s “been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected.
Trump also claimed that “A Vote for ‘Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him.”
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki also expressed concern that Kennedy’s candidacy could hurt Joe Biden’s reelection chances more than Trump’s.
“I understand that there’s polling that suggests that he would only hurt Donald Trump,” she said. “I don’t buy that. I don’t buy it.”
Additionally, polling has mostly suggested that Kennedy has been more of a threat to Biden than Trump after he switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in October.
However, some recent polls indicate the independent candidate is also affecting Trump’s chances. Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and other entities have launched efforts to counter Kennedy’s campaign because they worry, he will take more support from Biden’s base than from Trump’s.
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