Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised more than $11 million in the six hours after he announced a switch from running as a Democrat to an independent for president, his super PAC said Tuesday.
The super PAC, American Values 2024, said the windfall came in equally from independents as well as Democrats and Republicans. RFK Jr. has now raised north of $28 million through AV since late 2022.
"Americans don't like censorship or propaganda and they are tired of being lied to," said Tony Lyons, co-founder of American Values. "It's clear that Bobby is inspiring a populist movement that unites left and right, black, and white, rural and urban, young and old."
Kennedy made the announcement Monday in Philadelphia, saying he wanted to declare independence from corporations, media — and the country's two political parties.
"The DNC meshed their offices, their fundraising, their strategic operations with the president's," Kennedy told Newsmax on Tuesday night. "So, there was no difference between President [Joe] Biden's campaign and the DNC."
Kennedy's decision came less than a week after Cornel West dropped his Green Party candidacy to also run as an independent for 2024.
RFK Jr., the longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, has sparred with the Democratic National Committee over lack of support for his candidacy and its refusal to hold debates between President Joe Biden and the challengers. Further, he's had interviews removed from the YouTube platform, accusing the Biden administration of forcing big tech to comply with its censorship of RFK Jr..
"Millions of independent-minded Americans are seeing through the most powerful censorship and propaganda campaign against any candidate in American political history," Lyons said. "They are angry at the DNC for attempting to disenfranchise them, eager to support an honest Democrat and more open than ever before in American history to an independent and honest candidate."
Lyons also told Politico that the campaign is in talks with Elon Musk about throwing his support RFK Jr.'s way.
"If somebody like Elon Musk is willing to join the fight, he's a very big guy in the playground fight," Lyon told Politico.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.