Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the subject of some notable new publicity — from a group with Republican ties and on an issue that is one of the Democratic Party’s top campaign issues.
The new group, called “SAG PAC,” was created in June, according to a document from the Federal Election Commission. It has not yet filed reports detailing any of its donors, but it is already running ads online, spending more than $137,000 so far on Google platforms, according to the platform’s ad disclosure portal.
The YouTube ads feature photos of Kennedy next to banners reading “pro-choice” and “progressive Democrat.” Meanwhile, a narrator says, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to restore the right to abortion on a national level,” adding that he has “a long history of fighting for abortion rights. That’s the real RFK.”
The color scheme and tone of the ads are cheerful. And the group behind the ads has Republican connections. Your bank account is with Chain Bridge Bank, a Virginia financial institution that has monopolized the banking market for Republican campaigns and PACsincluding former President Donald Trump‘s. (The pro-Kennedy super PAC also used Chain Bridge Bank, while the Kennedy campaign used Amalgamated Bank, long favored by Democratic campaigns.)
The SAG PAC’s treasurer is Charles Gantt, who is listed in FEC filings as holding the same position for several PACs supporting Republican candidates.
The advertisements, which are concentrated in five decisive statesThey come amid a furious battle for support in the 2024 presidential race — and questions about whether Kennedy’s presence on the ballot does more harm to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ or Trump’s potential base.
By calling Kennedy “pro-choice,” the ad appears designed to alienate conservative voters who might be curious about Kennedy — or to attract voters who might otherwise vote for Harris.
Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, two NBC News National Polls showed Kennedy receiving more support from Trump, but other polls showed that Kennedy, a longtime former Democrat whose father ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968, further reduced support for Biden. Meanwhile, new polls on the Harris-Trump race suggests the new matchup is encouraging more voters to choose a major party candidate.
In an interview with CBS News that aired FridayKennedy said he told Trump during his meeting last week in Milwaukee that he was getting more support from him than from Democrats.
“I hope to get votes from both,” Kennedy said. “Right now, I get a lot more votes from President Trump than from the Democrats… He’s not happy. In truth, [at] the RNC, I told him that when I saw him. And he said, ‘Yes, we need to do something about this.'”
The Kennedy campaign is currently on the ballot in 13 states, according to NBC News analysis of its efforts to gain access to the polls. He plans to be on the ballot in all 50 states in November.
The ad’s focus on abortion rights highlights an issue on which Kennedy’s position faltered throughout his time on the campaign. His campaign has walked back interviews he gave about abortion policy on two separate occasions, including once in May after Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan expressed surprise over an abortion comment Kennedy had made to the same podcast host.
Gantt did not respond to questions about the new PAC and the announcements. Rahna Epting, executive director of the liberal group MoveOn, which supports Harris, said the digital ads were “a sad and desperate attempt by Trump’s allies to weaponize Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy.” She added: “The stakes are too high this November for any progressive to vote for a third-party spoiler about Vice President Harris.”
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
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