(NewsNation) — A third-party candidate is often seen as a threat to Democrats in a presidential election, but new polling suggests Robert F. Kennedy’s campaign could be a spoiler for former President Donald Trump’s 2024 Republican bid.
While the polls show Trump leading all the independent candidates by large margins, his attacks against RFK Jr. have gotten sharper, calling him a “wasted protest vote” and a “democratic plant.”
In response, RFK Jr. invited Trump to debate him on stage, saying, “When frightened men take to social media they risk descending into vitriol, which makes them sound unhinged.”
“President Trump’s rant against me is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims that should best be resolved in the American tradition of presidential debate,” RFK Jr. posted on X.
Trump’s attacks on RFK Jr. over the weekend come as recent polling shows the former president with a narrow lead over Biden. Depending on the poll, Trump is just one to four points ahead of Biden nationwide, including in most battleground states.
However, with RFK Jr. thrown into the mix, Trump loses his lead, and Biden comes out in front with a two-point lead. This is because more likely-Trump voters have switched over to RFK Jr. than likely-Biden voters.
Both the Trump and Biden campaigns now have their eyes on RFK Jr., with the Biden team hiring full-time staffers for the sole purpose of highlighting the contrast between the president and RFK Jr.
So while the long-shot candidate doesn’t appear to have the kind of support needed to win the presidential election, he could draw enough support to be a spoiler for either of the front-runners.
Kennedy’s path forward now relies on a more detailed state-by-state approach that ballot experts say is difficult but can be achieved with enough time and money. RFK Jr. says he is currently on the ballot in nine states and is working on New York next.