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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially announced that he will be running as an Independent instead of a Democrat.
The announcement came Monday morning while Kennedy spoke in front of a crowd in Philadelphia.
“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate,” he told the crowd. The crowd responded by chanting “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby!”
During his speech, he decried the two-party system and called for the creation of a new “declaration of independence” from “the corporations that have hijacked our government”; from Wall Street, Big Tech and Big Pharma; and from the “mercenary media.”
“We declare independence from these corrupting powers because they’re incompatible with the alienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy, the son of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has cut into President Joe Biden’s Democratic primary support throughout his campaign, which was launched in April. In a recent poll, he posted 17% to Biden’s 70%.
Kennedy has seen support from voters all across the political spectrum.
During his announcement on Monday, Kennedy said his decision to run as an independent was painful, explaining his family’s history within the Democratic Party. But, he said, “My sacrifice is nothing compared to the risk our founding fathers took when they signed the Declaration of Independence 247 years ago.”
