Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent decision to run for president in 2024 as an Independent could help President Joe Biden be reelected, according to a new poll.
A Marist poll released Tuesday showed that many Independent voters could vote for Kennedy who would otherwise support Trump in the general election.
Poll shows Trump and Biden neck-and-neck in 2024 election, but independent bids could change the race https://t.co/cEuD9UfyIW
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 19, 2023
"The biggest shift with a Kennedy candidacy came from independent voters, showing a massive drop in support for Trump (49% to 34%) and Biden (43% to 33%), according to the poll. Kennedy received support from 29% of independents," Fox News reported.
"Republican support for Trump also dropped significantly from 91% to 81%, with Kennedy receiving support from 11% of GOP voters," it added.
BREAKING: Marist poll shows RFK takes massive chunk of Trump support in 3-way race, swings election to Bidenhttps://t.co/diSTiFwVkohttps://t.co/diSTiFwVko
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 17, 2023
On October 9, Kennedy announced that he would be launching an independent bid for president, according to the Post Millennial.
"I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for president of the United States. I’m here to join you in making a new declaration of independence for our entire nation," Kennedy said during the Philadelphia event.
The poll comes as Trump has been gaining momentum in a potential rematch against Biden, leading in some recent nationwide polls and nearly tied in others.
With Kennedy's change, the situation could be changed, leaving major work in key battleground states for Trump's campaign.
Independent-favorable states like Arizona may see the biggest challenges, where Trump will be in a close battle similar to 2020 but with a third-party candidate added to the mix.
The Kennedy factor will be an important one to watch, with his role perhaps determining who wins, even if he does not.
