Biden Wins Endorsement of Kennedy Family Members

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—President Joe Biden on April 18 will return to Philadelphia, the final stop of his three-day tour of the crucial battleground state, where he will announce the endorsement of the Kennedy family.

More than 15 members of the Kennedy family, who have previously criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent bid for the White House, will endorse President Biden at a campaign event in Philadelphia.

Ahead of the event, Kerry Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter, announced the endorsement during an interview with MSNBC on April 18.

“We’re here in Philadelphia with my siblings and representing my first cousins, all of whom … are supporting Joe Biden for reelection. We’re doing that because we feel that the stakes are so high,” she said.

“He cares about all of us. And he was inspired to get into politics because of my father.”

Mr. Kennedy entered the presidential race last April, challenging President Biden for the Democratic Party nomination.

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After encountering multiple hurdles by the DNC and accusing the organization of “rigging the primary” and not allowing any candidate to compete against President Biden, Mr. Kennedy announced he would run as an independent in October 2023.

Many believe Mr. Kennedy’s third-party challenge threatens President Biden more than former President Trump.

Multiple times on the campaign trail, Mr. Kennedy has pointed out that he has more than 100 family members and said that many of them are working on his campaign.

Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, his daughter-in-law, is his campaign manager.

During a recent interview with CNN, Mr. Kennedy criticized President Biden, saying he is a bigger threat to democracy than President Trump.

“I can make the argument that President Biden is the much worse threat to democracy, and the reason for that is President Biden is the first candidate in history—the first president in history that has used the federal agencies to censor political speech, so to censor his opponent,” Mr. Kennedy said.

Earlier this month, the DNC announced the creation of a team to counter third-party and independent presidential candidates.

It hired Lis Smith, a veteran Democrat strategist who managed Pete Buttigieg’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, to spearhead an aggressive communication plan to combat Mr. Kennedy, independent Cornel West, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

“I feel strongly that this is the most important election of our lifetime, and there’s so much at stake. And I do think it’s going to come down to a handful of votes in a handful of states.

“And I do worry that Bobby just taking some percentage of votes from Biden could shift the election and lead to Trump’s election,” she told CNN in March when asked about her comment.

Campaign Events in Pennsylvania

President Biden traveled to Pennsylvania this week for a three-day tour of the battleground state, starting with a campaign event in his hometown of Scranton on April 16.

In Scranton, the president highlighted a contrast between his economic agenda and that of his 2024 presidential rival and predecessor, former President Trump.

He also reiterated his push to raise taxes on the rich and big corporations.

“Folks, where we come from matters. When I look at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago; I see through the eyes of Scranton,” President Biden said.

President Biden on April 17 traveled to Pittsburgh, where he announced dramatically higher tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China, a move likely aimed at pleasing blue-collar voters in the battleground state.

With 19 crucial electoral votes, the state is a key focus for the Biden campaign.

The campaign says it believes it has a clear advantage in Pennsylvania for the 2024 election, and is making significant investments in key voter groups, including black and Latino communities in the state.

Last month, for example, the campaign opened 14 offices in a single week, enlisted 1,700 volunteers, and formed key coalitions around the state to reach out to various demographics.

The campaign has seven offices in Philadelphia to mobilize voters and ensure a high turnout in November.

“In contrast, the Trump campaign still has no public presence—and across Pennsylvania, local media have reported there are no signs of the Trump campaign.

“The RNC was even forced to scrap plans to open a minority outreach office in Allentown, Pennsylvania,” the Biden campaign said in a statement.