Trump Slams RFK Jr. as ‘Left Lunatic’ Amid Election Fears

Former President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., branding him a “Radical Left Lunatic” and “far more LIBERAL than anyone running as a Democrat.” Trump’s comments come amid efforts from both sides to align Kennedy with their respective campaigns ahead of the November elections.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump criticized Kennedy’s recent appearance on ‘Real Time With Bill Maher,’ claiming that Kennedy’s views are “far more LIBERAL than Maher” and other Democratic candidates. Trump expressed skepticism about Kennedy’s chances, citing the Democrats’ decision to expel him from the Party for drawing primary votes from Biden.

Continuing his criticism on Friday night, Trump suggested that Kennedy is a “plant” from the left to aid Biden’s re-election. He warned that a vote for Kennedy Jr. would be “a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way.”

Both Republicans and Democrats are concerned that Kennedy could siphon votes from their party’s candidate in what is expected to be a closely contested race. An April 21 poll found that Kennedy Jr. posed more of a threat to Trump than to Biden, with 15% of Trump supporters in a two-way race indicating they would switch to Kennedy Jr. in a five-way race. However, a new CNN poll released on Sunday showed Kennedy drawing 13% from both Biden and Trump supporters.

The CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, has Trump leading Biden in a head-to-head race, 49% to 43%.

In a surprising turn, Trump stated in a post that he would “even take Biden over Junior,” claiming it would prolong the country’s existence by a year or two.

Kennedy responded to Trump’s attacks on X (formerly Twitter), calling them a “barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims” that should be resolved in a presidential debate. Kennedy challenged Trump to a respectful debate and criticized Trump’s time in office, accusing him of betraying his followers.

Historically, third-party candidates have played spoiler, with many Democrats blaming Green Party candidate Jill Stein for Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016, and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader for Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000.

The November presidential election is expected to be tight, with polls showing Trump leading Biden by 0.7 percentage points. Political advisers on both sides are concerned that support for third-party candidates could impact the outcome. Kennedy has only secured a spot on the ballot in a few states, with third-party candidates Stein and Cornel West polling behind. While initially more concerned about Kennedy drawing support from their side, Trump’s recent attacks indicate a shift in the Republican mindset, possibly indicating growing concern.