I think you know…
No surprise here:
A Popular Information analysis of @RobertKennedyJr’s first FEC filing reveals the lion’s share of Kennedy’s biggest donors have PREVIOUSLY DONATED ONLY TO REPUBLICANS
Through 6/30, Kennedy’s campaign has collected the maximum, $6,600, from 96 individuals.
37 individuals have previously only donated to Republican candidates for federal office.
Only 19 have a history of consistently supporting Dem candidates
Mark Dickson, a Californian who amassed a fortune in the aerospace industry, has donated more than 450K to federal candidates since 2015
The total includes $400,000 to Trump Victory
Dickson has NEVER supported a Democrat running for office
Until he maxed out to Kennedy
Keith Sheldon, a retired car dealership executive from Argyle, Texas, has consistently backed Trump, maxing out in 2016 and 2020.
He also donated $2.9K to Herschel Walker. And thousands to House GOP candidates.
But nothing to Dems. Until he maxed out to Kennedy.
Kennedy has dozens of maxed out donors with similar giving histories. And a much smaller number with a history of donating to Dems.
The unusual profile of Kennedy’s financial supporters raises serious questions about their motivations.
Oh, there’s no question about it. Steve Bannon has been pimping RFK Jr’s campaign for months. I assume they will be pushing Republicans to cross over into Democratic primaries to vote for him wherever it’s feasible. (With their own contested primary that may not be such a great idea.) It’s a ratfuck…
It’s not just Trump donors that are backing Kennedy. It’s Trump himself. Appearing on a radio show on a radio show last month, Trump encouraged Kennedy to “hang in” the presidential race and praised him as “very smart;” Trump said they had a lot in common.
He’s been very nice to me, I’ve actually had a very nice relationship with him over the years. He’s a very smart guy, and a good guy. He’s a common sense guy, and so am I. So, whether you’re conservative or liberal, common sense is common sense. A lot of what I run on is common sense. He’s doing really well, I saw a poll, he’s at 22. That’s pretty good! That’s pretty good, doing very well.
The feeling appears to be mutual. During a television appearance, Kennedy was asked what he thought of Trump’s comments. “I’m proud that President Trump likes me,” Kennedy said. In 2017, Kennedy was in talks with Trump to potentially chair a commission related to vaccines, according to the Washington Post.
Kennedy has courted Trump supporters and other right-wing voters by appearing frequently on Fox News, where he enjoys unusually favorable coverage. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson featured Kennedy as a guest on his program on the day of Kennedy’s announcement. Carlson described Kennedy as one of the few people in public life who is not “corrupt” and is “telling the truth.” He introduced Kennedy as ” one of the most remarkable people we have ever met,” saying he was “honored to have him on our show.”
Kennedy’s collaboration with the right-wing
On July 20, Kennedy will be the star witness at the hearing of the Republican-led House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The subcommittee’s hearings have “regularly featured chaotic and often one-sided airings of conservative grievances against agencies like the FBI and the Justice Department,” according to Newsweek. Kennedy is expected to use his appearance “to attack one of his political opponents — Joe Biden.”
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chair of the subcommittee, said the hearing will demonstrate that “the Biden administration is trying to censor their Democrat opponent.” Jordan said he texts regularly with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who is now managing Kennedy’s campaign.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), one of the most hardline members of the Senate, recently said that he hoped Kennedy “gains traction and wins the nomination.” Johnson said Kennedy had “extraordinary political courage” and had earned his “respect.” Kennedy has also earned public praise from Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Kennedy’s collaboration with Republicans began before his run for the presidency. Popular Information broke the news that, in July 2021, Kennedy’s non-profit, Children’s Health Defense, illegally donated $50,000 to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA). This “fee,” Children’s Health Defense said at the time, was in exchange for an opportunity “to educate attorneys general on health policy issues.” After Popular Information’s report, published in February 2022, RAGA returned the donation.
In December 2021, a member of RAGA’s leadership, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R), invited Kennedy to testify alongside him against school vaccine requirements. During his appearance, Kennedy falsely called the COVID-19 vaccine the “deadliest vaccine ever made” and peddled countless lies about the risk of the vaccine.
Kennedy has been photographed alongside right-wing figures, including Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (who called for a military coup to overturn the 2020 election), anti-vaccine profiteer Charlene Bollinger, and longtime Trump ally Roger Stone. The photo was taken backstage at Flynn’s ReAwaken America tour, a roadshow Frontline describes as a “recruiting tool” for the “Christian nationalist movement.” Kennedy has participated in ReAwaken America in previous years.
Between him, Manchin flirting with No Labels and Cornel West turnout is going to have to be huge to overcome these saboteurs. Gee, it’s not like there isn’t a lot at stake or anything.