ROUNDUP: Third-Party Threat Looming Large, Despite RFK Jr.’s “Suspension”
West’s Anti-vax, Stein’s Anti-climate Views In the Spotlight … And RFK Jr. Is Still on the Ballot in Three Battleground States
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Democrats continue to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz after last month’s strong and joyful showing at the Democratic National Convention, it is becoming clearer than ever that the third-party threat is still looming large over the 2024 presidential race.
With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fully debasing himself to please Donald Trump, Cornel West’s campaign is seizing on the moment to try to court anti-science, anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. supporters. In a video posted to X, West co-opted RFK Jr.’s dangerous anti-vaccine messages to peddle to his followers, saying: ”I propose a COVID-19 Truth Commission to explore the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, seek reparations, and ensure justice and equity in our future responses. We must also challenge the censorship that silences diverse voices in these critical conversations.”
For months, Republicans have gone all in on their national strategy to get West on the ballot in swing states to boost Donald Trump. West has continually used lawyers and MAGA consultants who have ties to dangerous right-wing causes, including anti-LGBTQ+ and voter suppression efforts.
Meanwhile, voters in battleground states are increasingly aware of Jill Stein’s climate hypocrisy. In a Wisconsin State Journal letter to the editor, Al Jacobs of Hobart, Wisconsin, called on Badger Staters who support clean energy and pro-climate initiatives to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. The letter also eviscerated Stein’s candidacy, noting how the direction of the Supreme Court is in play and how third-party candidates have empowered the Republican Party to implement weaker environmental protections.
REMINDER: Stein’s anti-environment record extends beyond electing Republicans: She personally benefits from oil and gas leases, including the Keystone XL pipeline, and profits from her stocks in Big Oil companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron.
And although RFK Jr. has suspended his campaign to endorse Trump, he will remain on the ballot in dozens of states, including three out of the seven core battlegrounds: Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
More happenings from third-party candidates:
- The Hill: 64 percent say RFK Jr. endorsement doesn’t change view of Trump: Poll
- The New York Times: ‘A Terrible President’: 12 Times Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Criticized Trump
- The Associated Press: Georgia puts Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz back on the state’s presidential ballots
- WRAL: We The People Party asks NC to remove presidential nominee RFK Jr. from ballots
- CNN: Watch how Trump’s views of RFK Jr. have shifted over the past year
- The Forward: Jill Stein says war in Gaza ‘makes any genocide pale by comparison’ — and then says she misspoke
- Middle East Eye: Muslim voters evenly split between Jill Stein and Kamala Harris, new poll finds
- The Washington Post: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., West approved for ballot in Wisconsin after attempts to oust them fail
- Reuters: RFK Jr says he was asked to be on Trump’s transition team
- The Associated Press: RFK Jr. appeals ruling that knocked him off New York’s presidential election ballot
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