A Democrat National Committee campaign call with members of the press revealed that Democrats are panicking over the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which has gained enough traction to possibly be a spoiler for President Joe Biden in 2024.
The call happened right after Kennedy chose tech entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential candidate during an Oakland, California rally.
The call included Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis, and Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
"We are doing everything in our power to get President Biden and Vice President Harris reelected. It's critical that we take seriously every possible obstacle to that goal. And let me be clear, that's exactly what Robert F. Kennedy is in this election. He's a spoiler," Davis said.
"Him being in the race means that there is a greater likelihood that Donald Trump will become president again," McMorrow said.
The politicians on the call pointed out Kennedy's vaccine skepticism, which was shared by Shanahan.
Garcia called him a "tin foil hat conspiracy theorist" in regard to vaccines, particularly COVID-19 vaccines.
Shanahan has an "anti-health" agenda, he further said.
"He's turning to Trump mega-donors to really support this, really, spoiler campaign. I think he's likely interested in trying to get Donald Trump elected. Maybe that's what this is about. And many of us are not sure, but he is someone that should not be taken seriously as a serious person. I mean, certainly his campaign is quite dangerous," Garcia said.
The reference to Trump mega-donors probably refers to Timothy Mellon, the Mellon banking heir who has given millions to Trump-supporting groups. Last year, Mellon also donated millions to Kennedy-backing super PAC American Values 2024.
"The truth is that he was drafted into this race by Donald Trump's top supporters and is being financed in this race by Trump's largest donor. That isn't merely a coincidence," Davis said.
"He has no realistic path to victory in Pennsylvania," he added. "All he can do is take away votes from President Biden and make it easier for Donald Trump to win, and we simply can't afford to let that happen."
Davis also said Kennedy was "targeting" Black people with his theories and was not an ally of the Black community.
McMorrow later added, "We cannot afford Donald Trump to be back in the White House, which is what is going to happen if people don't see RFK for what he actually is, which is Donald Trump with a Kennedy name slapped on him."
With Kennedy in the race, he gets 11% of the vote, and Trump beats Biden by 2%.
