Robert F Kennedy Jr’s independent White House bid has been a rollercoaster ride of bizarre headlines and unexpected twists. The 70-year-old candidate’s recent confession about dumping a dead bear in Central Park has only added to the strangeness of his campaign, which was already struggling in the polls.
In a video released to get ahead of a New Yorker profile, Mr Kennedy recounted a decade-old incident where he watched a car hit and kill a bear cub while on a falconry trip. He initially planned to take the dead animal home to skin it, but ended up discarding it in Central Park along with an old bicycle to make it look like a cycling accident.
This latest revelation is just one in a series of odd incidents that have plagued Mr Kennedy’s campaign. From memory issues related to a brain parasite to allegations of sexual harassment, his campaign has been marred by controversy.
Despite initially polling at around 15% and capitalizing on voter dissatisfaction with Trump and Biden, Mr Kennedy’s support has dropped to the low single digits. His lack of advertising and grassroots organizing, coupled with the distracting headlines, have led to his decline in the polls.
While Mr Kennedy may still play a spoiler role in the election, his chances of making a significant impact seem slim. His appeal to disaffected center voters, rather than pulling exclusively from the left like Green Party candidates, sets him apart but may not be enough to sway the election.
As Americans head to the polls in November, Mr Kennedy’s campaign faces an uphill battle to regain momentum and relevance in a race that has been dominated by more established candidates.
