RFK Jr.’s Platform as a Presidential Candidate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was an independent presidential candidate in the 2024 election. His campaign prioritized the economics of the general public over Wall Street. On Aug. 23, 2024, RFK Jr. paused his candidacy and shifted his support to Donald Trump, elected President of the United States on Nov. 6, 2024.

Key Takeaways

• RFK Jr. left the Democratic Party to run as an Independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paused his candidacy in August 2024 and endorsed Donald Trump.
• Kennedy’s platform included strategies for creating jobs, reducing income inequality, and promoting wealth redistribution.

Key Policies

RFK Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and a long-time environmental lawyer. He left the Democratic primary in 2023 to run as an independent candidate. Kennedy was vocal during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic due to his opposition to vaccines—a stance he has since retracted.

As a presidential candidate, Kennedy’s policies aimed to “free government from the corrupt influence of mega-corporations and Wall Street” and redirect military spending to “rebuilding of America’s infrastructure, economy and middle class.”Kennedy proposed wage increases, lowering housing costs, eliminating tax deductions that benefit corporations and the wealthy, and relief for student loan borrowers.

Kennedy proposed cutting military spending, including in Ukraine, and ending “corporate giveaways” and bailouts for corporations. His economic ideas intertwined with environmental policy suggestions, including requiring companies in the fossil fuel industry to internalize their costs and supporting industries like wind and solar. He advocates for the “free-market approach to energy and environmental issues.”

Note

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as an independent candidate after ending his run for a Democratic nomination in 2023. He was a lifelong Democrat, son of Robert F. Kennedy, and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.

Job Creation and Economic Growth

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was committed to being “the strongest pro-labor President since the 1960s.” If elected, he planned to raise the minimum wage to $15 with “automatic further increases to keep pace with inflation” and allow workers to negotiate for fair wages by prosecuting “union-busting corporations.”

His labor policy platform included a federal tax deduction for union dues and support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Kennedy planned to promote the on-shoring of industrial production—policies that incentivize domestic production—”so that American workers are not pitted in competition against workers from low-wage countries.”

Important

In Nov. 2024, President-elect Trump nominated RFK Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services pending Senate confirmation hearings in 2025.

Income Inequality and Wealth Distribution

In 2020, Kennedy told Yahoo Finance, “I definitely think that the gap between rich and poor in this country is much too large, that we’ve destroyed the middle class, and that the very wealthy people ought to be paying more in taxes and corporations.”

Kennedy planned to “restore the American middle class by reversing the missteps of the last 50 years.” Kennedy had hoped to “expand free childcare to millions of families with programs like that pioneered by the state of New Mexico.” In April 2022, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a program that covered childcare for most families in the state for a year. Kennedy also aimed to cut energy prices by restricting natural gas exports and cutting drug costs.

Taxation and Fiscal Policy

The former independent presidential candidate said he would reduce the tax burden on the middle and working classes by “closing loopholes and eliminating deductions that only benefit the wealthy.”

He proposed doubling the child tax credit, a taxpayer benefit for Americans with children under 17. Kennedy planned to restore the personal tax exemption of $5,000, increase the standard deduction, and eliminate the carried interest “loophole.”

Infrastructure Investment

Kennedy had planned to move military spending toward rebuilding America’s infrastructure. The candidate even said he would push to cut military spending in half.

“It is time to end the imperial project and attend to all that has been neglected: the crumbling cities, the antiquated railways, the failing water systems, the decaying infrastructure, the ailing economy,” his website read.

Education and Workforce Development

RFK Jr. hoped to pass student debt relief. The plan also included putting schools on the hook for defaults rather than loan companies. The candidate’s plan included increasing financial support for students who want to pursue non-traditional programs and providing more funding to trade schools.

Kennedy’s education and workforce development policies included expanding Americorps. Also known as National Civilian Community Corps, Americorps is a full-time service program for people ages 18 to 26. Kennedy wanted to expand the program to a four-year service program for all people age 18 and older with benefits including food, housing, medical care, a monthly stipend, and assistance with college tuition.

International Trade and Economic Relations

Kennedy’s policy proposals included negotiating “trade deals that prevent low-wage countries from competing with American workers in a ‘race to the bottom.'”He considered “tariffs on imports from countries that allow exploitation of workers.” He hoped to “renegotiate free trade agreements and impose compensatory tariffs on imports from low-wage countries.”

What Is the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Blockchain Budget?

Kennedy wanted the U.S. budget on blockchain, the distributed database or ledger commonly known as the powerhouse of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The failed presidential candidate planned to exempt bitcoin from capital gains taxes when the crypto is converted into U.S. dollars and back the dollar with bitcoin.

What Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Position on Abortion?

To summarize his position on abortion, Kennedy’s campaign quoted: “My stance is that every abortion is a tragedy, but I’ve spent my life advocating for bodily autonomy and bodily independence. And I don’t think the government is the right entity to be telling women what they should be doing with their bodies.” The campaign site added that Kennedy “calls for devoting all the resources burned up in the abortion fight to support mothers who want to carry their babies to term, who lack the resources to do so.”

Why Is RFK Jr. Considered a Populist?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his father, RFK, are commonly regarded as populists. Populists often represent the lower or middle-class citizens, fighting for their rights and benefits against an elite or unfair class system.

The Bottom Line

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was an independent presidential candidate in the 2024 general election until August 2024. RFK Jr.’s populist message and economic plan included proposals to support unions, invest in domestic job creation, address the wealth gap, and renegotiate trade deals.