'Horrible liar': RFK Jr slammed for labeling push to remove Donald Trump from ballot 'un-American'

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: In a candid interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr voiced strong opposition to recent attempts to bar former President Donald Trump from state ballots for the 2024 election, denouncing such efforts as "un-American" and detrimental to the democratic process.

Kennedy, who entered the political arena as an Independent candidate, shared his thoughts during a Wednesday, January 3 interview with MacCallum, addressing Trump's legal challenges to remain on the ballots in various states.

The Colorado Supreme Court recently ruled against Trump's inclusion on the state's ballot, citing his alleged involvement in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows followed suit a week later, removing Trump from the state's ballot for similar reasons.

Kennedy's perspective on due process

MacCallum asked Kennedy, "What do you think about those efforts to take the former president off the ballot based on an insurrection charge that he has not been charged with?"

Kennedy responded, "I think it’s wrong-headed. I think it’s counterproductive. I’m not a fan of President Trump. That’s why I’m running against him. But I don’t want and I’m confident that I’m going to beat him. I don’t want to beat him on a slanted playing field."

"I think the American people want to see a fair fight. They want debates. They want real democracy. They want to be able to choose their candidate, their president, not have a court, choose it," he continued. "And as you point out, I’ve read the decision and it makes no sense to me that you can deprive an American citizen of this right to run for president without ever charging him with it, much less convicting him of insurrection. He’s not even charged with a threat."

Kennedy highlighted the potential violation of due process and likened such actions to those of a "banana republic."

"And by the way, I think it’s going to hurt the people who are behind it. I think it turns Trump into a kind of you know, people know it’s unfair and it turns him into…you know him as a mythological figure. I think it’s very, very shortsighted and it’s just wrong. It’s un-American," Kennedy added.

Social media backlash

However, Kennedy's stance garnered some backlash on social media.

"I don’t care what he thinks, it’s in the Constitution for a reason," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Well, he is currently a nonfactor, so he might as well appeal to Trump's MAGA base in the event Trump implodes," another wrote.

"He’s not running against Trump. He’s running against Biden to help Trump," someone else added.

"The entire RFK agenda is to siphon off votes from the democrats," a comment read.

"He's getting paid to try and take votes from Biden to help Trump. RFK Jr. is such a horrible liar. His father and uncle would be so embarrassed," another alleged.  

Qualification in Utah amid controversy

This comes as Kennedy achieved a significant milestone in his campaign by officially qualifying for the 2024 ballot in Utah. In a symbolic gesture, the independent candidate visited the Utah Capitol on January 3, submitting the required 1,000 signatures to secure his spot in the November election.

Kennedy's entry into the Utah ballot stirred controversy due to his well-known anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. He has previously spread misinformation about COVID-19, suggesting the virus was engineered to spare certain ethnic groups from infection.

Additionally, Kennedy has openly questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and, if elected, pledged to use the Justice Department to force medical journals to publish discredited studies about vaccines. Adding to the controversy, Kennedy recently hired Del Bigtree, another prominent anti-vaccine activist, as his campaign's communications director.

In December, Kennedy's campaign filed a lawsuit against Utah, challenging the state's original deadline of January 8 for independent candidates to submit signatures for ballot access. As a result of the litigation, Lt Gov Deidre Henderson agreed to move the deadline to March 5.

Kennedy expressed gratitude towards his volunteer signature gatherers, acknowledging their dedication despite challenging weather conditions.

"We got double the signatures we need in a very short time period. It was very bad weather," Kennedy said during a morning news conference. "The volunteers had to go out into public places and persuade passers-by to sign their names even though it was cold. They did a spectacular job."

While Utah historically leans Republican, Kennedy remains optimistic about his chances in the state, suggesting that if he qualifies for the ballot in enough states, he could beat both Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, per the Salt Lake Tribune.

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