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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV- E24 0515 -RFKJR
HEADLINE: A Kennedy for president viewed as a potential spoiler
TEASER: About half of registered voters have told pollsters that they would replace both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on this year’s ballot.
PUBLISHED AT: 05/1/25024 AT 9:30AM
BYLINE: Steve Herman
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: White House
VIDEOGRAPHER: Adam Greenbaum
VIDEO EDITOR: Adam Greenbaum
ASSIGNING EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: sb, Page (DJ ok’d)
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Agencies, campaign video
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV __X RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:16
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO)) [[There is little that the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Joe Biden agree on. One is the presidential candidacy of an activist lawyer with a famous political pedigree: Robert F. Kennedy, Junior. VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman at the White House reports both the Biden and Trump camps see Kennedy as a potential spoiler in this November’s election.]]
((Narrator))
About half of registered voters have told pollsters that, if given the chance, they would replace both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on this year’s ballot.
Enter Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
((Chyron credit: Team Kennedy))
((Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Independent Presidential Candidate))
“If you picture what this country is going to look like in November if either President Trump or President Biden won, the division is going to continue, the anger, the vitriol, the chaos, the polarization is going to worsen. The only way to end that is through my successful candidacy.”
((Narrator))
Kennedy, with a gravelly voice due to an uncurable neurological disorder, was not deterred by his inability in the Democratic Party primaries to unseat Biden.
“Robert F. Kennedy Junior is not going to be the next president.”
((Narrator))
That’s Georgetown University associate professor of government Hans Noel with the consensus of political scientists.
But what worries both the Biden and Trump campaigns is the possibility of Kennedy on the ballot in the half-dozen or so “swing states” where his mere thousands of votes could…
((Hans Noel, Georgetown University))
“…change the outcome of that state. Then of course, that tips the direction of that state. If that state is large enough, and the ultimate election is fairly close, which is what we expect, then it could change the outcome of the race.”
((Chryon credit: MSNBC))
((Mandatory CG: YouTube logo))
“I’m going to be on the ballot in every state. I’ll be on the ballot in every state by July.”
((Steve Herman, VOA News ))
“The candidate has one advantage over other third-party contenders also on the ballot in some states this year – name recognition. His father was Bobby Kennedy, a major contender in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primary until he was assassinated. His uncle was President John F. Kennedy, slain while in office in 1963.”
((TEXT))
((Hans Noel, Georgetown University))
“The Kennedy family is not happy at all that he's running, and they've made a number of efforts to make that very clear.” [[:05]]
((Narrator))
Such as this one with Biden surrounded by Kennedy family members, including Kerry Kennedy, the independent candidate’s sister.
((Kerry Kennedy, Candidate’s Sister))
“We want to make crystal clear our feeling that the best way forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to four more years.” [[:13]]
((Narrator))
Kennedy’s controversial beliefs about vaccines, the origins of COVD-19 and the assassinations of his father and uncle have attracted some supporters, according to professor Noel.
((Hans Noel, Georgetown University))
“Kennedy is much more popular among Republicans than he is among Democrats right now. But that's probably mostly because he's a Democrat or former Democrat who says bad things about other Democrats. And, so, Republicans like to hear that, and they think that sounds interesting. But they're not going to vote for that over Donald Trump.” [[:15]]
Kennedy’s team declined our request to make the candidate or a surrogate available to VOA, saying "the campaign has decided to only grant interviews to U.S press with targeted U.S. audiences at this time."
((Steve Herman, VOA News, at the White House.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMay 15, 2024 09:45 EDT
BylineSteve Herman
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
