Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former independent presidential candidate and now a prominent surrogate for Donald Trump, made an unexpected move this week — and blasted the former president’s debate performance against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite claiming his unwavering support for Trump, Kennedy suggested that the debate would negatively impact Trump’s standing among independent voters.
“I think, on substance, President Trump wins in terms of his governance. But he didn’t tell that story. In fact, the first question was an extraordinary lost opportunity,” RFK, Jr. said in an interview.
“I think it’s unfortunate because I think he really had an airtight argument for his presidency, but he was not able to make that case to the American public.”
Kennedy continued by praising Harris’s debate performance and claiming she won — but reaffirmed his support of the Republican party nominee.
“I think that Vice President Harris clearly won the debate in terms of her delivery, her polish, her organization, and her preparation,” he said. But, “I was listening to the substance. And on the substance, President Trump wins.”
The former independent candidate highlighted specific areas where he believed Trump missed opportunities — especially economic woes and recent foreign wars.
“All of these things can be attributed to poor leadership from the Biden-Harris team, and that’s the argument he should have been making,” Kennedy said.
“I think President Trump did not tell his story, which is a very, very good story about his presidency, and I think that he didn’t convey that as well as he could.” He suggested that this might lead to “a slight drop in his support” among independents.
But while liberal polls, including a CNN snap poll, showed viewers favoring Harris’s performance, Kennedy questioned their accuracy.
“A lot of them probably have statistical problems,” he stated.
Despite his criticisms, Kennedy again reaffirmed his support for Trump and his plans to campaign for him in swing states, and said the former president “wins in terms of his governance.”