Trump Calls RFK Jr. ‘Democrat Plant,’ Kennedy Challenges Trump to Debate
Summary from the AllSides News Team
As some recent polls show independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could hurt former President Trump more than President Biden, Trump has stepped up attacks on Kennedy.
The Details: In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Kennedy a “Democrat ‘Plant’,” “Radical Left Liberal,” and “WASTED PROTEST VOTE.” Kennedy hit back at Trump, saying he sounded “unhinged” and challenging the former president to a debate.
For Context: Kennedy, who began his presidential campaign as a Democrat, has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for being “left-wing” and “right-wing.” Some of Kennedy’s core stances include wanting to ban pharmaceutical companies from advertising directly to consumers, requiring more rigorous trial periods for vaccines, and ending the war in Ukraine.
Key Quote: Kennedy wrote on X, "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."
How The Media Covered It: Politico (Lean Left bias) described Kennedy as a “renegade independent” who is “firmly to Biden’s left on some environmental policies.” Forbes (Center bias) included context on how third-party candidates have “played spoiler” in previous elections like 2000 and 2016. Most of Fox News’ (Right bias) coverage was directly quoted from Trump and Kennedy’s social media posts.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Trump rails against RFK Jr., calling him a ‘wasted protest vote’Former President Donald Trump launched a social media tirade against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday night, saying a vote for the independent candidate would be a “wasted protest vote” and that he’d “even take Biden over Junior.”
The wild card independent, a thorn in the side of the Democratic Party for siphoning voters from President Joe Biden, has become a source of increasing anxiety for the GOP as he threatens to also pull votes away from Trump in November.
In a string of posts to his Truth Social platform, Trump called...
From the Center
Trump Calls RFK Jr. A ‘Left Lunatic’ As Both Sides Fear His Impact On ElectionFormer President Donald Trump attacked independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday as a “Radical Left Lunatic” who is “far more LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat,” as both candidates hope to align Kennedy with the other ahead of the November elections.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social early Sunday, Trump said he watched Kennedy Jr. on “Real Time With Bill Maher” and found Kennedy “far more LIBERAL than Maher” and other Democratic candidates, but has “no hope” because the Democrats “threw him out of the Party”...
From the Right
RFK Jr. challenges Trump to debate after 'Democrat plant' accusationRobert F. Kennedy, Jr. responded to former President Trump's allegations he is a "Democrat plant" and would be a "wasted protest vote," challenging the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to a debate.
"When frightened men take to social media they risk descending into vitriol, which makes them sound unhinged," Kennedy wrote in an X post on Saturday afternoon. "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. President Trump, who has proven himself the...
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