Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the “Guilty” verdict against former President Donald Trump on Thursday, claiming that Democrats prefer to challenge him in court rather than at the ballot box.
“America deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government’s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts. You can’t save democracy by destroying it first,” Kennedy asserted. “The Democrats are afraid they will lose in the voting booth, so instead they go after President Trump in the courtroom.”
The Democratic Party’s strategy is to beat President Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic.
America deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government’s…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 30, 2024
Though he opposes Trump in the election, RFK Jr.’s comments significantly differ from those of several anti-Trump activists who hailed Thursday’s conviction.
“Today’s guilty verdict is absolutely correct, and nobody is above the law. I look forward to more guilty verdicts when the federal cases move forward. Trump is now a felon,” said former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
The crucial issue now is whether the conviction will be sufficient to shift momentum away from former President Trump in Biden’s favor as the November 5 election approaches. Although it will take at least a week to obtain accurate polling on the matter, establishment Republican Karl Rove, who has previously criticized Trump, stated on Fox News this week that a guilty verdict could potentially cost Trump key swing voters in critical states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
“If he is found guilty, let’s not underestimate that there is a problem,” said Karl Rove.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a fist as he arrives back at Trump Tower after being convicted in his criminal trial in New York City, on May 30, 2024. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
“Think about this. Those numbers, like 11% less likely to vote for him, think about Michigan where they’re, in the RealClearPolitics average, Donald Trump is up by one half of 1% — or Pennsylvania, where he’s up by 2%, or Wisconsin, where he’s up by 3/10 of 1%,” Rove continued. “So in a close race, like we’re likely to have, having 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11% of the electorate less likely to vote for you is a problem.”
