'Nothing to gain by it': RFK Jr trolled after challenging Trump to debate following 'Democrat plant' allegation

BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS: In a swift rebuttal to former President Trump's recent accusations branding him as a "Democrat plant" and dismissing his candidacy as a "wasted protest vote," Robert F Kennedy Jr has fired back, issuing a challenge for a debate on the national stage.

Kennedy's response, articulated in a post on X on Saturday afternoon, April 27th, accused Trump of resorting to social media rants that bordered on incoherence.

Call for civil discourse

"When frightened men take to social media they risk descending into vitriol, which makes them sound unhinged," Kennedy wrote. "President Trump's rant against me is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims that should best be resolved in the American tradition of presidential debate. President Trump, who has proven himself the most adept debater in modern American political history, should not be panicked to meet me on that stage." 

The independent presidential candidate pledged to expose what he described as Trump's betrayals "of his most sincere followers," citing promises unfulfilled and actions taken contrary to his stated agenda.

RFK Jr said the former president "promised to end the Ukraine war and then colluded with Speaker Johnson and President Biden to fund it." He added that Trump also "let Big Pharma and his corrupt bureaucrats run roughshod over him as President," and "promised to cut the deficit and ran up the biggest debt in history."

Kennedy highlighted Trump's alleged collusion with Speaker Johnson and President Biden regarding the Ukraine war, as well as his perceived capitulation to Big Pharma and bureaucratic interests during his tenure.

"He promised to run the government like a business and then closed down our businesses. He promised to drain the swamp and then filled his administration with swamp creatures," RFK Jr said. "He promised to protect our rights and then torpedoed the Constitution."

"Instead of lobbing poisonous bombs from the safety of his bunker, let’s hear President Trump defend his record to me mano-a-mano by respectful, congenial debate," Kennedy concluded.

Unpacking Donald Trump's allegations

The origins of this verbal sparring lie in Trump's recent diatribe against Kennedy on TRUTH Social, where he labeled Kennedy as a "Democrat plant" and lambasted his policy stances and credentials.

"RFK Jr is a Democrat ‘Plant', a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected," Trump wrote in a series of posts earlier Saturday. "A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him."

Trump's barrage of criticism included accusations of Kennedy being "totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist who makes the Green New Scammers look Conservative, a Big Time Taxer and Open Border Advocate, and Anti-Military/Vet." 

"His Radicalized Family will never allow him to be a Republican, and his Chief ‘Funder’ is the VP Candidate that nobody ever heard of, except her ex-husband, who’s been stripped of a big chunk of cash," Trump continued, taking a swipe at Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy's running mate.

The former president also noted Kennedy's purported influence on environmental policies during Andrew Cuomo's governorship, adding that upstate New York "was not allowed to drill or frack as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and others ripped off New York Energy," causing a major uptick in energy costs in upstate New York and New England. 

"His Views on Vaccines are FAKE, as is everything else about his Candidacy. Let the Democrats have RFK Jr They deserve him!" Trump concluded, Fox News reported.

Social media reacts to Donald Trump's debate 

That said, Kennedy was trolled on social media after he challenged Trump to a debate.

"Will there be tinfoil hats?" one posted on X.

"Why would Trump debate a minor league politician? Nothing to gain by it [sic]!" another wrote.

"Waste of time. RFK is on what 4 states ballots?" someone else added.

"RFK already lost the election," a comment read.

"Trump will put all of you to shame," another insisted.

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