Kennedy family makes ‘crystal clear’ its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.’s candidacy

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, niece of former President John F. Kennedy and sister of the current presidential candidate, delivered the endorsements in Philadelphia by calling Biden “my hero.”

“We want to make crystal clear our feelings that the best way forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years," she said.

She never directly mentioned her brother, but insisted “there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency” this year, framing the campaign as a choice between Biden and Trump, with no room for a third party contender.

Biden, who keeps a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in the Oval Office, said the endorsements were “an incredible honor." He said Trump, the former president who is the presumptive Republican nominee, was a threat to America's democratic traditions and that "now it's time to keep going and not slow down because there's so much at stake.”

The decision to highlight the Kennedy family's support more than six months from Election Day is an indication of how seriously Biden's team is taking a long shot candidate using his last name’s lingering Democratic magic to siphon support from the incumbent.

Kennedy Jr. played down the endorsements, writing on social media that his family was “divided in our opinions but united in our love for each other." He said his campaign was about “healing America.”

Given Kennedy Jr.'s quixotic political positions and the expectation this year's campaign will be decided by thin margins, both Democrats and Republicans worry that he could play the role of spoiler.

Biden used the campaign event, which capped a three-day swing in a battleground state critical to his reelection effort, to keep up the pressure on Trump.

“Donald Trump’s vision is one of anger, hate, revenge and retribution,” Biden said, adding, "I have a very different view of America, one of hope and optimism."

After the event, Biden thanked about three dozen supporters and volunteers who were gearing up to call voters or knock on doors for his campaign.

“What you’re doing here is bigger than me, bigger than you, bigger than all of us combined. It’s about what kind of country our kids are going to live in," Biden said.

He protrayed the election as less about keeping himself in office than keeping Trump out, saying the race was important “not because I'm running” but because of “what happens if we lose this election.”

The Kennedy family endorsements are hardly a surprise. Members of the prominent Democratic family have been vocal that they don't see eye to eye politically with Kennedy Jr., who started as a protest primary challenger to Biden in the Democratic Party and now is running as an independent. Biden last month hosted more than 30 members of Kennedy’s extended family at the White House for St. Patrick’s Day, when family members posed with the president in the Rose Garden and Oval Office.

Later, Biden and members of the Kennedy family were to meet with supporters at a campaign event, and some Kennedy were planning to make calls to voters and knock on doors on Biden's behalf.

Several notable members of the family were not endorsing, including Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, and nonprofit leader Maria Shriver, which the Biden campaign said was due to their nonpolitical professional roles.

Shriver, however, has been a conspicuous White House guest recently, attending the State of the Union and speaking at a women's history month reception last month.

Bernard Tamas of Valdosta State University, an expert on third parties, said it was unclear whether Kennedy Jr. would pull more votes from Democrats or Republicans.

“He is pro-science when it comes to the environment, but a conspiracy theorist when it comes to vaccines,” Tamas said.

Kennedy Jr.'s lack of a clear political lane limits his potential impact on the election, Tamas said, but Democrats appear to be more concerned because his last name could lead some voters to believe that he is carrying on his family’s political legacy.

Other than that, Tamas said, “I don’t know what else he has to attract progressive voters.”

Kennedy Jr. has spoken publicly in the past about disagreeing with his family on many issues, but maintains it can be done in “friendly” ways. After a super political action committee supporting his campaign produced a TV ad during the Super Bowl that relied heavily on imagery from John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential run, Kennedy Jr. apologized to his relatives on the X social media platform, saying he was sorry if the spot “caused anyone in my family pain.”

The Democratic National Committee has hired a communications team to combat the appeal of third-party candidates, Kennedy Jr. first among them. The DNC also filed a recent Federal Election Commission complaint against Kennedy Jr.’s campaign, charging that it coordinated too closely with an affiliated super PAC to get his name on the presidential ballot in some states.

Kennedy Jr. is also viewed warily by the Trump campaign. While Trump has released a recent video saying, “If I were a Democrat, I’d vote for RFK Jr. every single time over Biden," he has sometimes criticized Kennedy Jr. as being more “radical left” than Biden.

Biden's travels across Pennsylvania this week were an opportunity to reconnect with his roots, starting on Tuesday in Scranton, where he lived until age 10. He swung by his childhood home, a three-story colonial that his family rented, and reminisced about attending Mass at St. Paul’s.

In Pittsburgh, he called for higher tariffs on steel and aluminum from China to protect U.S. industry from what he called unfair competition.

But even that event involved some nostalgia, as Biden recalled an endorsement from the steelworkers when he was “a 29-year-old kid” from Delaware running for U.S. Senate.

“It changed everything,” he said.

Kerry Kennedy, second from right, hugs President Joe Biden at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are members of the Kennedy family Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Joe Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Christopher Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks as members of the Kennedy family, from second left, Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Joe Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy listen at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden, from right, joined by members of the Kennedy family, waves to the audience at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Joe Kennedy III and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks as members of the Kennedy family Maxwell Kennedy Sr., from left, Joe Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy and Rory Kennedy listen at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden, second from left, and members of the Kennedy family including Joe Kennedy II, from left, Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Rory Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy walk on stage at a campaign event Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Kerry Kennedy, right, introduces President Joe Biden, third from left, at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are members of the Kennedy family Joe Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Rory Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Kerry Kennedy speaks before President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured in background are members of the Kennedy family Joe Kennedy III, left, and Rory Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Kerry Kennedy speaks before President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden walks off after speaking during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks to a group of supporters and volunteers at a campaign stop Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Kerry Kennedy speaks before President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Joe Kennedy III introduces President Joe Biden to a group of supporters and volunteers at a campaign stop Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden, right, hugs Kathleen Kennedy Townsend as Kerry Kennedy and members of the Kennedy family look on at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Kerry Kennedy, right, hugs President Joe Biden at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are members of the Kennedy family Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Christopher Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden, from right, greets Joe Kennedy III, Maxwell Kennedy Sr., and members of the Kennedy family at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Kerry Kennedy, second right, hugs President Joe Biden at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are members of the Kennedy family Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Joe Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Christopher Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Kerry Kennedy, right, introduces President Joe Biden, second from left, at a campaign event, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Philadelphia. Pictured from left are members of the Kennedy family Maxwell Kennedy Sr., Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Rory Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden returns a salute from Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, April 18, 2024. The President is traveling to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is headed to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Joe Kennedy speaks to members of the media before President Joe Biden arrives to speak to a Biden campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One, Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is headed to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr

Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr

President Joe Biden waves as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, after returning from a trip to Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Tuesday announced an investigation into the federal funding for universities where students have protested the Israel-Hamas war, broadening a campaign that has placed heavy scrutiny on how presidents at the nation's most prestigious colleges have dealt with reports of antisemitism on campus.

Several House committees will be tasked with a wide probe that ultimately threatens to withhold federal research grants and other government support to the universities, placing another pressure point on campus administrators who are struggling to manage pro-Palestinian encampments, allegations of discrimination against Jewish students and questions of how they are integrating free speech and campus safety.

The House investigation follows several recent high-profile hearings that precipitated the resignations of presidents at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. And House Republicans promised more scrutiny, saying they were calling on the administrators of Yale, UCLA and the University of Michigan to testify next month.

“We will not allow antisemitism to thrive on campus, and we will hold these universities accountable for their failure to protect Jewish students on campus,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson at a news conference.

Nationwide, campus protesters have called for their institutions to cut financial ties to Israel and decried how thousands of civilians in Gaza have been killed by Israel following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Some organizers have called for Hamas to violently seize Israeli territory and derided Zionism. Jewish students, meanwhile, have reported being targeted and say campus administrators have not done enough to protect them.

After Johnson visited Columbia last week with several other top House Republicans, he said “the anti-Jewish hatred was appalling.”

Republicans are also turning to the issue at a time when election season is fully underway and leadership needs a cause that unites them and divides Democrats. The House GOP's impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has fallen flat and the Republican conference is smarting after a series of important bills left GOP lawmakers deeply divided. Democrats have feuded internally at times over the Israel-Hamas war and how campus administrators have handled the protests.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Tuesday that it was “unacceptable when Jewish students are targeted for being Jewish, when protests exhibit verbal abuse, systemic intimidation, or glorification of the murderous and hateful Hamas or the violence of October 7th."

Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, at a news conference Tuesday said that it was important for colleges “to ensure that everybody has an ability to protest and to make their voice heard but they have a responsibility to honor the safety of individuals.”

“For many of Jewish descent, they do not feel safe, and that is a real issue,” he said, but added that he wanted to allow university administrators to act before Congress stepped in.

But the Republican speaker promised to use “all the tools available” to push the universities. Johnson was joined by chairs for six committees with jurisdiction over a wide range of government programs, including National Science Foundation grants, health research grants, visas for international students and the tax code for nonprofit universities.

Without Democratic support in the divided Congress, it is not clear what legislative punishments House Republicans could actually implement. Any bills from the House would be unlikely to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

But so far, the House hearings with university presidents have produced viral moments and given Republicans high-profile opportunities to denounce campuses as hotbeds of antisemitism. In December, the presidents of Ivy League universities struggled to answer pointed questions about whether "calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate each university’s code of conduct.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican who posed the question in the December hearing, said it became the highest-viewed congressional hearing in history. She also cast the campaign against antisemitism as part of a broader conservative push against what they say is overt liberal bias at elite American universities.

“Enough is enough,” she said. “It is time to restore law and order, academic integrity and moral decency to America’s higher education institutions."

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is also requesting that the administrators of Yale, UCLA and the University of Michigan appear at a hearing on May 23 that focuses on how they handled the recent protests.

“As Republican leaders, we have a clear message for mealy-mouthed, spineless leaders: Congress will not tolerate your dereliction of duty to your Jewish students,” said the committee chair, North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx.

At a hearing of the committee earlier this month, Columbia University’s president took a firm stance against antisemitism. But at the same time, a protest was underway on Columbia's campus that would soon set off others like it nationwide. The university began suspending students this week in an attempt to clear the protest encampment on campus.

The university is also facing federal legal complaints. A class-action lawsuit on behalf of Jewish students alleges Columbia breached its contract by failing to maintain a safe learning environment.

Meanwhile, a legal group representing pro-Palestinian students is urging the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office to investigate whether Columbia's treatment of the protesting students violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called on university administrators to “take charge."

“On campus, protect Jewish community members. Clear the encampments. Let students go to class and take their exams. And allow graduations to proceed,” he said.

Protesters make signs in an encampment area on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus,Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Milwaukee. The Pro-Palestinian rally is calling for the University to cut ties with Israel and for peace in Gaza. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Student protesters camp on the campus of Columbia University, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. Early Tuesday, dozens of protesters took over Hamilton Hall, locking arms and carrying furniture and metal barricades to the building. Columbia responded by restricting access to campus. (Pool Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media on the Low Library steps on Columbia University's campus in New York on Wednesday April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)