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PHILADELPHIA (WBZ NewsRadio) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday that he will run for president in 2024 as an independent and not as a Democrat.
"I'm here to join you in making a new Declaration of Independence for our entire nation," Kennedy said from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. He said that includes independence from Wall Street, big tech, big pharma, and more.
"We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he did not make the decision to leave the Democratic Party lightly. "It's very painful for me to let go of the party of my uncles, my father, my grandfather, and both of my great-grandfathers," he said.
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Kennedy first announced his presidential campaign in April in Boston, with the intent of taking on President Joe Biden in the Democratic primaries.
On top of being from a famous political family, RFK Jr. is an environmental lawyer and is known for his anti-vaccine activism.
Meantime, four of Kennedy's siblings have released a statement saying they do not support their brother in his bid for president. Those siblings are Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Hon. Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
"The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country," the statement said. "Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today's announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country."
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