RFK Jr. vows to dismantle US military empire in the legacy of JFK
3 Min Read
Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. commemorates the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination by pledging to continue his uncle's vision of a peaceful America.
-
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event, in Columbia, South Carolina, November 14, 2023. (AP)
On the 60th anniversary of JFK's assassination anniversary, US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy paid tribute to the memory of his uncle by pledging to strive for a peaceful America in an op-ed piece published by Fox News.
“If the American people choose me as their president, I will resume the process that my uncle broached 60 years ago of unwinding the American military empire,” Kennedy said.
“I will return the military to its proper function of defending the homeland.”
Kennedy expressed his vision for America as a peaceful nation, a vision he believes died with President JFK. He highlighted JFK's defiance against pressure from within his administration, including the Pentagon and the CIA, to engage in wars in Laos, Berlin, and Cuba.
He lamented the deviation from his uncle's path, pointing to the endless succession of regime-change wars that followed, draining the nation's finances and moral authority. He attributed much of the $33 trillion national debt to military spending, including $8 trillion in regime-change wars, and called for a redirection of resources toward education, infrastructure, poverty, health, and the environment.
Highest favorability among 2024 candidates
Addressing foreign relations, Kennedy advocated for ending "reckless, belligerent policies" toward Russia and China, pledging to shut down most overseas military bases and reduce the size of the US armed forces. According to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll, Robert Kennedy has the highest favorability rating among all 2024 contenders.
Kennedy initiated a petition drive urging President Joe Biden to release secret government documents related to JFK's assassination, citing legislation passed in 1992 mandating their release by 2017. Both Biden and former President Donald Trump held back some documents, prompting Kennedy to seek transparency on this historic event.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated back in 1963 while riding in a presidential motorcade in Dallas. Nearly five years later, his brother Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles while he was campaigning for President. Today, Robert Jr. presents himself as following in the footsteps of his late uncle and father. However, unlike his predecessors, he has announced that he won't be running as a Democrat but rather as an independent, asserting that both parties (Democrats and Republicans) are dominated by corrupt interests.
Voters dissatisfied with Biden, Trump
According to data derived from Axios' latest Engagious/Sago focus groups in September, many Arizona swing voters seem dissatisfied with current US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and would prefer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as president in 2024.
Engagious president Rich Thau, who moderated the groups, said, "With so much antipathy toward Trump and Biden, swing voters are off-the-charts receptive to a third alternative, especially one with such a recognizable name".
Read more: RFK Jr. says Pentagon hid Ukraine truth from American
