US President Joe Biden received the endorsement of at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign event in Philadelphia on Thursday, as he aims to undermine former President Donald Trump and marginalize the independent candidacy by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kerry Kennedy, daughter of former Secretary of Justice Robert F. Kennedy, niece of former President John F. Kennedy and sister of the current presidential contender, gave family support to Biden in Philadelphia, calling him “my hero.”
“We want to make very clear our feeling that the best path forward for the United States is to re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years,” he declared.
He never directly mentioned his brother, but insisted that “there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency” this year, framing the campaign as a election between Biden and Trumpwithout room for a third contender.
Biden, who has a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in the Oval Office, called the endorsement “an incredible honor.” He noted that Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, is a threat to America's democratic traditions and that “now is the time to move forward and not give up because the stakes are high.”
The decision to highlight the Kennedy family's endorsement with more than six months until Election Day is an indication of how seriously Biden's campaign team takes the threat of a candidate unlikely to win using the persistent magic of his last name to remove support from the president.
Kennedy Jr. downplayed the accolade, writing on social media that his family was “divided in opinion, but united in our love for each other.” He stressed that his campaign aims to “heal America.”
Given Kennedy Jr.'s political stances and the expectation that this year's campaign will be decided by narrow margins, Democrats and Republicans alike worry that he could play the role of spoiler. As a reminder of that potentially decisive role, Michigan officials said Kennedy secured a spot on the state ballot Thursday.
Biden used the event, which closes a three-day tour in Pennsylvania, to keep up the pressure on Trump.
“Donald Trump's vision is one of anger, hatred, revenge and retaliation,” Biden said, adding: “I have a very different vision of America, one of hope and optimism.”
After the event, Biden thanked about three dozen supporters and volunteers who were preparing to phone voters or knock on doors for his campaign.
“What you are doing here is bigger than me, bigger than you, bigger than all of us together. “It's about what kind of country our children are going to live in,” Biden said.
He said the election is not so much about keeping him in office as it is about preventing Trump from getting it, and said the race is important “not because I'm running” but because of “what will happen if we lose these elections.” elections”.
The endorsements from the Kennedy family are hardly surprising. The members of this prominent Democratic family have expressed that they do not agree politically with Kennedy Jr., who began as a challenger to Biden in the Democratic Party primaries and is now running independently. Last month, Biden hosted more than 30 members of the extended Kennedy family at the White House to commemorate St. Patrick's Day.
But other notable family members are not endorsing Biden, including Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, and Maria Shriver, the founder of a nonprofit organization, something the president's campaign team said is because they occupy non-political professional positions.
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