(NewsNation) — While Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running to challenge President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination, data suggests he’d have better luck if he switched parties.
Kennedy has been a hot topic in conservative circles recently. He appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and has been invited to testify in Congress by House Republicans.
GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he could pick Kennedy as his running mate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested he might nominate Kennedy to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Food and Drug Administration.
Kennedy is also doing better with Republican voters, according to polling data. Analysis from Five Thirty-Eight showed mixed results when it came to polls, with some showing Kennedy with more Democratic support than others. Overall, though, the site found Democrats were generally growing less fond of Kennedy over time.
Yet Kennedy has vowed to continue to run as a Democrat, saying he wants to “take his party back” in his town hall appearance on NewsNation.
While Kennedy has committed to the Democrat party, his views don’t always resonate with Democratic voters. His position on gun control runs contrary to many in the party and his anti-vaccination views are also opposed by many on the left. He’s also opposed to U.S. aid to Ukraine, something some Republicans have opposed.
Kennedy has additionally been accused of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks and promoting online conspiracy theories. He has denied those accusations.
To succeed against Biden, NewsNation political editor Chris Stirewalt said Kennedy must resist efforts by Democrats to brand him as a danger to the party and must shape his own identity to woo voters.
Given Kennedy’s support on the right, some in the GOP are hoping to use him as an advantage, especially if he debates Biden, potentially revealing weaknesses or divisions within the party.
However, it’s unclear what would happen, exactly, if Kennedy ran as an independent, potentially peeling voters from both the left and right, or switched parties and threw his hat into the crowded GOP field. Currently, former President Donald Trump continues to hold a significant lead in the race, far ahead of second-place Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.