Kennedys endorse Biden for presidency, despite family member’s candidacy

The legendary Kennedy political family expressed its support for Joe Biden in the US presidential elections on Thursday. In doing so, they send a clear signal to family member Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is also still competing for a place on the electoral list.

Fifteen members of the Kennedy family supported US President Joe Biden’s campaign during a campaign event in Philadelphia on Thursday. Biden, flanked by several Kennedys, spoke about the family’s legacy and their influence on his own political life. He mentioned their father — former U.S. Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy — and Martin Luther King Jr. as the “only two political heroes I had growing up.” Biden said he reminds himself to keep looking and think about what they would do in difficult situations, referring to the busts of Kennedy and King that he keeps in the Oval Office.

The support of the Kennedys is striking considering that a Kennedy is also competing for the spot in the White House this year. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a Democrat for decades but broke with Biden’s party in October 2023. The 70-year-old scion of the prominent political Kennedy family received criticism both within the Democratic Party and within his family for his positions as an anti-vaxer and contacts with far-right politicians. However, it had long been clear that he would not receive the support of his family. Even his siblings stood next to Biden on stage Thursday. Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan have little chance at the polls in November. In addition to Biden, Republican former President Donald Trump is also running for a new term.