Kennedy Family Members Endorse Biden in 2024 Presidential Race

On Thursday, President Joe Biden received the endorsement of multiple members of the Kennedy family in Philadelphia.

For Context: The endorsement of President Biden for the 2024 Presidential race affirms the longstanding issues many Kennedy family members have had with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running against Biden as an independent candidate. Family members who spoke at the event focused on Donald Trump and how his actions would have “horrified” former Kennedys, but also slighted RFK Jr. by alluding to there only being “two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency.”

Key Quotes: Kerry Kennedy, daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and sister of RFK Jr., said, “I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father, Robert F. Kennedy, who proudly served as Attorney General of the United States and honored his pledge to uphold the law and protect the country.”

How the Media Covered It: Across the spectrum, the Kennedy family endorsement was reported as an apparent and intentional effort to dull the effects of a third-party candidacy. Outlets on the left and right highlighted the spoiler effect of the RFK Jr. campaign, explaining that Kennedy threatens to pull votes away from the major party candidates. Fox News (Right bias) also mentions the Democratic National Committee's team, formed solely to combat the RFK Jr. campaign, and how there have been reports of the RFK Jr. campaign being used intentionally to thwart votes away from Biden.