Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign has allies of Michelle Obama seeing an opportunity to knock Joe Biden off the top of the Democratic ticket, according to a shock report.
According to the Business Times, the Obamas and the Clintons believe that Kennedy will damage Biden's re-election bid to the point where he will step aside.
"The Clintons and Obamas know if Bobby Kennedy continues his run, he'll take 15 percent of the Democratic vote away from the president and doom Joe's chance of beating Donald Trump," a source said.
The Obama and the Clintons have long been cozy with one another, but Biden has never fit neatly into their dynamic.
His recent troubles have led to persistent rumors that Michelle Obama might step in to reinforce the party's tenuous hold on the White House.
It's unlikely that Biden would surrender his hold on the nomination unless Democrats put a gun to his head - but insiders close to the Clintons and the Obamas say that RFK's candidacy may give Biden second thoughts.
The Obama-Clinton camp sees Kennedy "as a pivotal element in shaping the upcoming electoral landscape," the report said.
"Specifically, the powerhouses are said to believe that RFK Jr.'s presence in the race could influence President Joe Biden to rethink his candidacy, thereby opening the door for Michelle Obama."
The news that RFK, a lifelong Democrat, is running as an independent has led to questions of whether he would spoil the race for Biden.
Some polls, however, show that RFK may damage Donald Trump more by cutting into his populist base.
While RFK's anti-vaccine messaging makes him somewhat of a black sheep in today's Democratic party, he holds many progressive views on issues like guns and reparations for slavery.
As his views have come under closer scrutiny, RFK has accused conservatives of cherry-picking his past statements to paint him as an orthodox progressive.
News flash! My views on many issues have evolved over my 40 years in public life, and especially over the last five years. The Republicans are digging into statements I made 5, 10, 20 years ago to paint me as an orthodox liberal.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) October 20, 2023
The sources told the Business Times that in return for his cooperation, RFK could possibly receive a post as vice president or a Cabinet role.
This backroom deal would be an ironic twist for Kennedy - a much maligned "conspiracy theorist" who presents himself as a bold truth-teller.
