Justin Sink | Bloomberg News (TNS)
President Joe Biden will be endorsed by more than a dozen members of the Kennedy family at an event Thursday in Philadelphia, as he looks to blunt the outsider presidential bid of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Biden will be introduced by Kerry Kennedy — the sister of the third-party candidate — and joined by fellow siblings including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a former Maryland lieutenant governor; filmmaker Rory Kennedy; former Congressman Joe Kennedy II, Christopher Kennedy, and Maxwell Kennedy Sr.
Other attendees include Ted Kennedy Jr., the son of the longtime Massachusetts senator, and former U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III, Biden’s special envoy for Northern Ireland.
The event comes as polls suggest that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who has promoted conspiracy theories about vaccines, antidepressants, the connection between HIV and AIDS, and whether Wi-Fi can cause cancer — could play spoiler as Biden seeks to win a reelection rematch against former President Donald Trump.
A March study by Ipsos found that Kennedy voters were more likely to be women, independents, or dissatisfied with both major party candidates. Biden’s success among those groups helped propel him to victory over Trump in 2020.
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On Monday, Kennedy claimed in a social media post that Trump’s team had approached him and asked him to consider being the former president’s running mate. Kennedy said he “respectfully declined” the offer, while the Trump campaign denied that such a conversation occurred.
Securing the endorsement of the remainder of the Kennedy clan is personal for Biden, who considers Kennedy’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, a senator, U.S. attorney general and presidential candidate, as a political idol.
Biden, just the second Roman Catholic president after John F. Kennedy, has actively courted the family, inviting more than 30 family members to a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the White House last month.
Biden and the Kennedys will be joined at the event in Philadelphia by local civil rights leader John White Jr. Following the endorsement event, the group plans to speak with campaign volunteers and help voter outreach efforts by placing calls on Biden’s behalf.
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