Larry Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia, downplayed the significance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of former President Donald Trump on Monday, saying it won't sway all of the former independent presidential candidate's supporters.
Kennedy announced on Friday that he was suspending his campaign bid before endorsing Trump and appearing with him at a rally in Arizona. Sabato said polls have shown Kennedy's support declining for weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee. (Related: 'I'm not afraid to say it': DNC volunteer says convention prompted them to dump Harris)
“Since Kamala Harris was elected, his approval rating has plummeted. When she first took office, it was in the high teens. Some polls had it in the low 20s. Now it's at 5 or 6 percent in some states, and those polls are out of date,” Sabato said. “The Democratic National Convention has just happened. One network poll just a few days ago had him at 2 percent.”
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'No way': Leading election expert says not all RFK voters will flock to Trump pic.twitter.com/1soBXxVyBQ
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 26, 2024
Kennedy received 5% support in a five-way race against Trump, Harris, Green Party candidate Dr Jill Stein and independent candidate Cornel West. According to A RealClearPolling average of polls from July 31 to Aug. 21 shows Harris holding a 2 percentage point lead over Trump. Lead The RealClearPolling average of polls gives Trump a 1.5% lead in head-to-head battles.
“Anyone who thinks they're going to sway 2 percent to Trump because they support Trump doesn't understand politics very well. It doesn't work that way. It doesn't work that way,” Sabato said. “Some people will vote for Trump, some will vote for Harris, some will choose someone else on their ballot. There are a bunch of other candidates, state by state… I think there are hundreds of things that could be more impactful than RFK Jr. dropping out of the campaign and endorsing Trump. He's running, he's not running, he's here, he's there.”
“It's embarrassing, to be honest,” Sabato said.
Kennedy told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream that he would campaign vigorously for Trump and predicted that Trump would garner support from other Democrats.
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