Chris Hayes claims Trump’s alliance with RFK Jr could be a move to make JD Vance 'seem almost normal'

WASHINGTON, DC: On Wednesday, Chris Hayes scrutinized Donald Trump’s unexpected alliance with Robert F Kennedy Jr, asserting that Trump and his campaign should inherit all the complications that come with such an association.

Hayes expressed his suspicion that this move might be a strategic ploy to make Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, appear almost normal by comparison.

Chris Hayes points out RFK Jr's reputation as a republican spoiler

Chris Hayes noted that RFK Jr, a former independent presidential candidate, had been widely perceived as a Republican spoiler aiming to siphon votes from Democrats.

Hayes said, “The former independent candidate for president was, I think, widely understood to be a Republican spoiler hoping to lure votes away from Democrats in November.”

This perception gained credibility when Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump on Friday. Trump has since taken the unusual step of including RFK Jr on his potential transition team.

Hayes highlighted Trump’s history of controversial associations, noting that while Trump has aligned himself with various dubious figures—citing a dinner with a neo-Nazi as an example—Kennedy stands out as particularly problematic.

Hayes remarked, “While the former president has associated himself with a number of cranks over the years — I mean, the guy had like dinner with a literal neo Nazi — Kennedy is his own special kind of problematic.”

Hayes argued that if Trump chooses to link himself with someone like Kennedy, he and his campaign must contend with the associated baggage.

Chris Hayes highlights bizarre incidents involving RFK Jr

One example Chris Hayes provided was a peculiar video RFK Jr made with comedian Roseanne Barr. In the video, Kennedy confessed to placing a bear carcass in Central Park to stage an unusual accident involving a cyclist.

Hayes pointed out, “Kennedy shared that video himself, by the way. He wanted the world to see him telling Roseanne Barr about how he was going to stage a hit and run bike versus bear accident in Central Park.”

Hayes then recounted an even stranger story resurfaced this week, involving Kennedy’s daughter. She described an episode where Kennedy had cut the head off a dead whale, strapped it to his car, and transported it home.

Hayes read verbatim from her account: “Every time he accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car. It was the rankest thing on the planet. We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out. People on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.” Hayes commented, “That’s, well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Chris Hayes unpacks RFK Jr's controversies and Trump’s possible strategy

The peculiarities didn’t end there; Chris Hayes also mentioned a photo RFK Jr had sent, which appeared to show him cooking and eating a dog. Hayes asked, “I think it’s fair to say that’s weird. That’s a weird picture. We could say weird, right?” He also reminded viewers of Kennedy’s claim of once having a brain worm.

However, Hayes stressed that Kennedy’s most serious issue lies in his promotion of harmful conspiracy theories. Hayes pointed out, “Far, far more seriously, Robert Kennedy has promoted consistently false, dangerous and deranged conspiracy theories."

"He is probably one of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in the world, and it was he and his ilk, but really him, I mean, almost chief among everyone who helped spread deadly lies about vaccination, that ultimately cost the lives — and this is not hyperbole — of literally hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans during COVID.”

Hayes suggested that Trump’s decision to ally with Kennedy could be a calculated move to make JD Vance seem relatively conventional by comparison.

Hayes concluded, “So, this is who’s been added to the already very weird campaign of Donald Trump. And hey, maybe it’s strategy to make JD Vance seem almost normal. By comparison, because that guy keeps producing new weirdness himself.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and her Democratic allies have intensified criticism of former president Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance by branding them as “weird,” as per AP News.

This strategy highlights Vance’s controversial comments on abortion and his claim that childless leaders lack a stake in America. Democrats are using this label to gain a narrative edge, a shift from previous campaigns.

Strategic communication expert David Karpf notes that calling opponents “weird” resonates quickly and disrupts their responses.

Harris and her allies, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senators Brian Schatz and Chris Murphy, have prominently used this characterization in their statements and social media.