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☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Expected to End his Independent Presidential Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to end his troubled independent presidential campaign on Friday, according to three people briefed on his plans, and has been in talks to throw his support behind former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Kennedy’s campaign said this week that he intended to address his “path forward” in a speech from Phoenix. Mr. Trump is expected to hold a rally later in the day in nearby Glendale, Ariz.On Thursday, Mr. Kennedy filed paperwork to withdraw from the ballot in Arizona, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office there said. It could not immediately be determined if the campaign was taking similar steps in other states. But lawyers for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also filed papers in federal court in New York on Thursday seeking to block the enforcement of a court decision that disqualified Mr. Kennedy from the state’s ballot.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald J, Trump, Kennedy’s, Kennedy, Mr Locations: Phoenix, Glendale, Ariz, Arizona, New York

But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails, and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal. Because, you know, they know — they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself.

Persons: Kamala Harris’s, Let’s, Doug, Cole, Ella, Dougie, Joe Biden, Joe, Tim Walz, Shyamala Harris, Donald Harris, Aretha, Coltrane, Miles, Kamala, Don’t, Shelton, Uncle Sherman, Aunt Mary, Uncle Freddie, Auntie Chris —, Family, —, Maya, Michelle, Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, Wanda, Kamala Harris, I’ve, Donald Trump, doesn’t, “, miscarrying, Couples, John Lewis, Trump, Putin, Said, Zelensky, Biden, Kim Jong, let’s Organizations: Democratic, Mayflower, White, U.S . Capitol, Capitol, U.S, Supreme, Trump, Social Security, Affordable, of Education, Medicare, Congress, Republicans, NATO, Fellow Locations: America, India, California, Jamaica, —, Illinois, Wisconsin, East, United States of America, Oakland, Calif, United States, China, Said Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Iran, An America, American

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign was dealt a blow on Monday when a judge ruled that his petition to appear on New York’s ballot was invalid, saying Mr. Kennedy had used a “sham” address to maintain his New York residency. The ruling, if it stands, would keep Mr. Kennedy off the ballot in a state where he lived for much of his adult life and could endanger his efforts to be placed on the ballot in dozens of other states. His lawyer, William F. Savino, said in an email that Mr. Kennedy had “always planned to appeal any adverse ruling.” Later Monday, the campaign said it would file a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan. “The 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution governs the residency of presidential and vice-presidential candidates, not state law,” said the campaign’s senior counsel, Paul Rossi. “If state court judges are going to ignore the Constitution, the federal courts must step in to protect voters’ rights.”

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, —, Kennedy’s, William F, Savino, “, ”, Paul Rossi Organizations: Clear Choice, Democrat, Constitution Locations: York, Albany, N.Y, New York, Manhattan, U.S

☆ Liberal ‘White Dudes’ Rally for Harris: ‘It’s Like a Rainbow of Beige’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Ken Bensinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First came the Black women, who had been meeting every week for four years and were ready to spring into action for Kamala Harris. Then came the Black men and South Asian Americans. There were also the white women, in a Zoom-busting paroxysm of solidarity and angst. On Monday night, the string of identity groups backing Ms. Harris reached its bizarre, and perhaps inevitable, apotheosis with the inaugural meeting of the aptly named “White Dudes for Harris.”“What a variety of whiteness we have here,” marveled Bradley Whitford, the “West Wing” actor, his tongue firmly in cheek as he opened his remarks to the 60,000 or so attendees who had gathered on a live video call to show their support and raise money for Ms. Harris’s nascent presidential campaign. “It’s like a rainbow of beige.”The call, put together by a few Democratic organizers (and not affiliated with the Harris campaign), was billed as a moment of solidarity, a chance to prove that former President Donald J. Trump doesn’t own the votes of white men or speak for them.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, ”, ” marveled Bradley Whitford, Harris’s, “, Donald J, Trump Organizations: South Asian, Wing, Democratic

“Kamala Harris will appoint hundreds of extreme far left judges to forcibly impose crazy San Francisco liberal values on Americans nationwide,” Mr. Trump told the crowd. Mr. Biden’s move upended a presidential race that Mr. Trump and his team had been anticipating for years. But Mr. Trump seemed to make a more considered effort on Friday to define Ms. Harris as further to Mr. Biden’s left. Mr. Trump also repeated his false, widely debunked claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, which he has maintained that he won. James Singer, a Harris campaign spokesman, criticized Mr. Trump in a statement for insulting Jewish Americans and lying about the 2020 election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Kamala Harris, San Francisco —, —, Harris, “ Kamala Harris, Mr, Biden’s, upended, Biden, ”, Roe, Wade, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Mr, Israel ”, Biden deputized, James Singer, churchgoers Organizations: Trump, Believers, San, Democratic, Republicans, Mr, Mar Locations: West Palm Beach, Fla, San Francisco, North Carolina, Palm Beach, Israel, Gaza, United States

☆ The Obamas Called Kamala Harris. Cameras Rolled. Hokeyness Ensued.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kamala Harris’s dizzying rollout as a presidential candidate somehow pulled off the rare feat of looking organic and organized, fun but without cringe-inducing artifice. Somehow, the Biden-turned-Harris campaign managed to make former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, once America’s coolest political couple, sound like parents in a Lifetime movie calling their child at summer camp. Early Friday morning, the Harris campaign posted a video it produced that depicted a phone call from Mr. and Mrs. Obama, which had taken place on Wednesday, in which they gave Ms. Harris their much-awaited endorsement. Mr. Obama’s 5:01 a.m. post of the video on X had more than 50 million views by 2 p.m. The video begins as an offscreen aide hands Ms. Harris a phone, while she is walking backstage at an event in Indianapolis.

Persons: Kamala Harris’s, Harris, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Obama, Obama’s Organizations: Biden Locations: Indianapolis

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner followed former President Donald J. Trump into FiServ Forum on Thursday night. Melania Trump entered later, alone, to Beethoven’s Ninth and rapturous applause. Missing from the celebratory scene at the Republican National Convention: the youngest Trump son, 18-year-old Barron. Barron Trump has always been somewhat removed from his father’s political life: Melania Trump has fiercely protected her son’s privacy. He graduated in May from a private school in South Florida, an event Mr. Trump attended during his criminal trial in Manhattan.

Persons: Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald J, Trump, Melania Trump, —, Barron, Barron Trump, “ regretfully ” Organizations: FiServ, Republican National Convention Locations: South Florida, Manhattan, Florida

☆ Kennedy Sent Apologetic Text to Woman Who Accused Him of Sexual Assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. privately apologized last week to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a recent magazine article, The Washington Post reported on Friday. In an article in Vanity Fair last week, she said Mr. Kennedy made unwanted sexual advances toward her while she was at his family home in the late 1990s, including by groping her in a pantry. Ms. Cooney told The Post that Mr. Kennedy had called her twice on July 3 of this year, after the Vanity Fair article had run, and then sent her two text messages, which she also showed to The New York Times. “I hope you are well,” he wrote in the first message. “Please call me if you have a moment.”In the second, sent shortly after midnight, he wrote: “I read your description of an episode in which I touched you in an unwanted manner.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Eliza Cooney, Kennedy’s, Kennedy, groping, Cooney, ”, “ Organizations: Washington Post, Mr, Pace Law School, The New York Times Locations: White Plains, N.Y

☆ Gavin Newsom Will Take Your Biden Questions (and Try Your Doughnuts)
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Gavin Newsom of California was just like any other politician with national ambitions, making his way through a small crowd at a rest stop in New Hampshire. “Governor, should the president step aside?”Mr. Newsom chewed for a moment, reiterated the next-levelness of the doughnut, then turned to the microphone. “The answer is no.”It was back to work for President Biden’s hardest-working surrogate. The half-eaten pastry was handed off to a local Biden campaign staff member. The doughnut would have to wait.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ”, That’s, Mr, Newsom, Biden’s Organizations: Gov, Biden Locations: California, New Hampshire, “

The debate between Donald J. Trump and President Biden had analysts in Asia fretting. During Thursday night’s debate, President Biden told former President Donald J. Trump that the United States is the “envy of the world.”After watching their performance, many of America’s friends might beg to differ. In Europe and Asia, the back-and-forth between the blustering Mr. Trump and the faltering Mr. Biden set analysts fretting — and not just about who might win the election in November. Image Mr. Biden leaving the debate stage. Kasit Piromya, Thailand’s foreign minister from 2008 to 2011 and a former ambassador to the United States, lamented the state of American politics.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden, ”, fretting —, ” Simon Canning, ” Sergey Radchenko, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, “, Putin, “ I’ve, Mr, Kenny Holston, François Heisbourg, Trump’s, “ I’m, Heisbourg, Radoslaw Sikorski, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Sikorski, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Daniela Schwarzer, Bogdan Butkevych, “ Trump, Chan Heng Chee, Ms, Chan, Lee Byong, ’ ”, Koichi Nakano, Haiyun Jiang, Narendra Modi, Tara Kartha, —, Shen Dingli, don’t, Kasit, Damien Cave, Lee Wee, Choe Sang, Vivian Wang, Camille Elemia, Mujib Mashal, Ségolène Le Stradic, Marc Santora Organizations: Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, —, Mr, Russia, New York Times, Trump, Bertelsmann Foundation, Washington , D.C, Credit, Kremlin, Kyiv Independent, Biden unnerves, Institute for Far Eastern, Kyungnam University, Sophia University, The New York Times, Washington, National Security Council of, ”, Weibo Locations: Asia, Australian, United States, Europe, Australia, Washington, Russia, China, North Korea, Ukraine, Lebanon, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Gaza, Jerusalem, France, Washington ,, American, Ukrainian, North, Seoul, “, United, Tokyo, The New York Times India, National Security Council of India, New Delhi, Beijing, India, Communist, Shanghai, U.S, Southeast Asia

☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Conspiracy of Ravens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was getting annoyed, fingers tapping on his lawn chair. As a reporter and a photographer crouched expectantly in the bushes behind his Los Angeles home, his two wild ravens were refusing to cooperate with a photo shoot. “I’m not going to reward their bad behavior,” he said at last, closing the greasy bag of meat scraps he had brought out for the birds. As an independent presidential candidate, Mr. Kennedy, 70, has leaned into his storied political lineage, his career in environmental law and his caustic anti-establishment beliefs that at times veer into conspiracy theory. And yet I was surprised recently when a routine phone call to ask Mr. Kennedy for comment about another article was interrupted by a loud “caw” at the other end of the line.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, crouched expectantly, “ I’m, ”, strode, Kennedy Locations: Angeles

☆ The Quiet Voice in R.F.K. Jr.’s Ear: A Former Aide to the Clintons
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his outsider bid for the White House, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is flanked by a team of unlikely political characters: new age health gurus, anti-vaccine activists, social media influencers, veterans of fringe third-party campaigns, cryptocurrency evangelists and militant environmentalists. Now a Hollywood screenwriter, Mr. Carson, 47, has the résumé of a Democratic insider. He was the press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He worked for Bill Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Tom Daschle, Howard Dean and Michael Bloomberg. But over the past year, he has become a quiet, steadying force behind a candidate who is at war with the Democratic Party.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Jay Carson, Carson, Hillary Clinton’s, Bill Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Tom Daschle, Howard Dean, Michael Bloomberg, Anita Dunn, Biden, “, Kennedy, — Organizations: White, Democratic, “, Democratic Party Locations: Hollywood, Topanga Canyon, Calif

☆ Kennedy’s Campaign Is Accused of Lying About His New York Residency
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Jay Root | Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A group aligned with President Biden is challenging Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s New York ballot petition, saying his campaign lied about his New York residency. The group, Clear Choice, says he long ago moved to the West Coast and has virtually no connection to the address listed on his petitions — an address of a longtime friend, where Mr. Kennedy’s independent presidential campaign acknowledges he has never actually lived. The complaint, filed with the state Board of Elections on Thursday afternoon, is one of more than a dozen filed with New York’s board of elections, some of which object to his campaign’s signature-gathering efforts. The group provided a time-stamped copy of the complaint to The New York Times. A Board of Elections spokeswoman, Kathleen McGrath, said a determination of residency would be “outside the ministerial scope” of the board’s review of petitions.

Persons: Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kathleen McGrath Organizations: New, New York Times Locations: York, New York, West

☆ The Big Hurdle Between R.F.K. Jr. and the Debate Stage (It’s Not a Poll)
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Chris Cameron | Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden’s campaign has been clear: He will debate former President Donald J. Trump only one-on-one. That hasn’t stopped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from trying. As the deadline to qualify for the June 27 debate draws closer, Mr. Kennedy, who is running for president as an independent, has said he’s confident he can still meet host CNN’s requirements, while ramping up accusations that the news organization rigged the process. But Mr. Kennedy’s rivals do have a mutual interest in boxing him out, as The New York Times previously reported. Mr. Kennedy is drawing support away from both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, and both campaigns are concerned about the potential for him to swing the election in key battleground states.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, hasn’t, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, “, ” Mr, ”, Biden Organizations: CNN, Biden, Trump, “ CNN, ” CNN, New York Times

☆ Libertarians Skip Over Trump and R.F.K. Jr. for Chase Oliver
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Michael Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Libertarian Party chose one of its own as its presidential nominee on Sunday night, capping a grueling day of elimination voting and a boisterous four-day event, where both Donald J. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unsuccessfully sought to court the group’s backing. The nominee, Chase Oliver — an openly gay former Democrat who in 2022 forced a runoff in a race for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia — beat out nine other candidates at the party’s national convention in Washington, including Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Trump, who was not an official candidate, received six write-in votes in the first round. The Libertarian Party is among the better-established minor parties, with name recognition and placement on the majority of state ballots in November. The Libertarian nominee is guaranteed to be on the November ballot in at least 37 states, a number that party leaders say they expect to grow in the coming months.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Chase Oliver —, Georgia —, Kennedy, Mr Organizations: Libertarian, Democrat, U.S, Senate Locations: Georgia, Washington

☆ Kennedy Adviser Leaves Campaign, Citing ‘Hateful and Divisive Atmosphere’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Chris Cameron | Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A key adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is stepping away from his presidential campaign, citing an “increasingly hateful and divisive atmosphere” that “no longer aligns with my values.”Angela Stanton King, the campaign’s adviser for Black engagement, announced her departure in a statement on social media on Tuesday evening, five months after she was added to the campaign’s payroll. In a text message, Ms. Stanton King said she had “switched to an informal role.” Asked for the reason for the switch, she pointed to her statement on social media. “The increasingly hateful and divisive atmosphere no longer aligns with my values.”The Kennedy campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Ms. Stanton King was a high-profile figure in the Kennedy campaign, appearing with Mr. Kennedy and Nicole Shanahan, his running mate, on the campaign trail and addressing crowds at rallies. In Ms. Shanahan’s debut campaign event in Houston this month, Ms. Stanton King spoke at length and introduced the candidate to the crowd, saying, “I don’t fall in love with a lot of people, but I fell in love with Nicole.”

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, ” Angela Stanton King, Stanton King, ”, I’ve, “, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Shanahan’s, Nicole Locations: Houston

☆ Trump’s Reported Fund-Raising Tops Biden’s for First Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party out-raised President Biden and the Democrats last month for the first time in this election cycle, according to campaign officials, as Mr. Biden’s pace of fund-raising slowed significantly from March. Mr. Trump’s advisers have said privately that his campaign, together with the Republican Party and all of their affiliated committees, raised $76.2 million in April. The Biden campaign said on Monday evening that it had raised $51 million in April with the Democratic National Committee — which was just over half as much as they raised in March, and also a touch less than they raised in February. In filings with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, Mr. Biden’s campaign committee reported taking in $24.2 million in April, compared with $43.8 million in March.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden, Biden’s Organizations: Republican Party, Mr, Democratic National Committee, Federal

☆ Take My Wife, Please: For Political Damage Control, Just Blame Your Spouse
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is a tale as old as Adam and Eve: A husband, faced with accusations of misconduct, blames the wife. It is also a time-honored, bipartisan political strategy. This week, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey pointed ringed fingers at their wives for episodes that have landed each man in political or legal trouble. The justice’s wife, Martha-Ann Alito, was in a feud with neighbors at the time over an anti-Trump sign, The Times reported. In the case of Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, it was his lawyer who did the finger pointing.

Persons: Adam, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Bob Menendez, Alito, ”, Donald J, Trump’s, Biden’s, Martha, Ann Alito, Menendez, Avi Weitzman Organizations: Bob Menendez of New, New York Times, Times, Democrat Locations: Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Manhattan

Where each candidate has more donors orfewer donors compared with 2020, by county Biden Biden Trump Trump The New York TimesAcross most of the country, Mr. Trump has fewer donors than he did at the same time in 2020, while Mr. Biden has more. As of the end of March, Mr. Biden had 1.1 million unique individual donors, compared with one million for Mr. Trump. In Delaware, Mr. Biden has roughly twice as many donors as Mr. Trump, an analysis of contributions by ZIP codes shows. Arizona Where each candidate has more donors orfewer donors compared with 2020, by ZIP code Biden Trump The New York TimesIn Arizona, which is a battleground state in 2024, Mr. Biden has picked up donors. In North Carolina, a battleground state, Mr. Biden has gained donors relative to Mr. Trump since 2020.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Donald J, Biden's, Trump's, Mr, Bernie Sanders, Nikki Haley Organizations: Trump, Biden Biden Trump Trump The New York Times, Biden, Mr, New York Times, Federal, Commission, The Times, Siena College, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Democratic, Republican, ZIP, Biden Trump The New York Times, Republican Party . Arizona, Biden Trump The New York, Democrats, Biden Trump U.S, New York Locations: Vermont, Delaware, New York, New York City, Manhattan, Long, Arizona, Flagstaff, Tucson, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Nevada, Las Vegas, Michigan, Biden Trump The New York Times In Michigan, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Siena, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pa

☆ R.F.K. Jr. Draws Another $8 Million From His Running Mate, Nicole Shanahan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, the Silicon Valley investor Nicole Shanahan, said on Wednesday night that she had given another $8 million to their independent presidential campaign as it carries out the expensive endeavor of gaining ballot access across the country and tries to propel Mr. Kennedy onto debate stages. Ms. Shanahan, a lawyer who was formerly married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, gave the campaign $2 million shortly after Mr. Kennedy named her as his running mate in March. After a nod to the media, Ms. Shanahan said, “I think I know what they’re going to say — they’re going to say Bobby only picked me for my money,” a remark that drew laughter from the crowd. She followed performances by comedians including Russell Brand, Rob Schneider and Jim Breuer, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member. Many of the performers praised Mr. Kennedy, but they also used their time onstage to rail against Covid vaccinations, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the mainstream news media and President Biden.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy, Shanahan’s, Shanahan, Sergey Brin, “, Bobby, ”, Russell Brand, Rob Schneider, Jim Breuer, Mr, Anthony S, Biden Organizations: Mr, PAC, Google Locations: Nashville, Ryman

☆ Are R.F.K. Jr. Signature Gatherers Misleading New Yorkers for Ballot Access?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top of the petition was folded underneath itself, so that the names of the candidates were not visible, Ms. Bernstein said. The campaign needs 45,000 but is aiming for more than 100,000. Candidates often collect far more signatures than they need in case some end up being invalidated for various reasons. “At a minimum, it’s misleading,” Ms. Bernstein said of the interaction. “I was just pretty much taken aback.”

Persons: Amy Bernstein, Bernstein, “, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Ms, ” Locations: Brooklyn, New York, New York State

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tries to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, he’s confronting fierce resistance from his opponents. Rebecca Davis O’Brien, who covers campaign finance and money in U.S. elections for The New York Times, discusses the high-stakes battle playing out behind the scenes.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Rebecca Davis O’Brien Organizations: The New York Times

☆ R.F.K. Jr. Claims Censorship After Facebook and Instagram Briefly Block New Ad
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made censorship — specifically, claims that the government, news media and tech platforms have tried to stifle his message — a cornerstone of his independent presidential campaign. This weekend, Mr. Kennedy got more fodder for his argument when Facebook and Instagram blocked a link to a new, sleekly produced 30-minute ad supporting his candidacy. The link appeared to have been blocked from Friday late afternoon until Saturday around midday. Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta, said the link had been incorrectly flagged as spam. “It was mistakenly blocked, and it was corrected within a few hours” after the issue was discovered, Mr. Stone said.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, sleekly, Andy Stone, Stone, Tony Lyons Organizations: Facebook, Meta

☆ Surprise Tactics and Legal Threats: Inside R.F.K. Jr.’s Ballot Access Fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign mounts a bruising state-by-state battle for ballot access, he has often credited enthusiastic volunteers and grass-roots backers with driving the effort. In fact, the operation has become increasingly reliant on consultants and paid petitioners whose signature-gathering work has yielded mixed results and raised questions of impropriety, even among Mr. Kennedy’s fans. In order to get Mr. Kennedy on the ballot in all 50 states, as is his goal, his campaign has deployed a multipart strategy: aggressive legal action, shrewd political alliances and surprise filing tactics meant to slow or prevent challenges. The effort has already cost his campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a supporting super PAC at least $2.4 million more, federal campaign finance records show. Their success is what will make or break Mr. Kennedy’s campaign.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy

☆ Trump Slows Campaign Spending as He Tries to Close Cash Gap With Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign committee ended March with $45 million on hand, federal filings showed Saturday, as he tries to close the fund-raising gap with President Biden. But Mr. Trump’s campaign is spending much less than it was at the start of the year, which has helped it inch closer. In March, it spent just $3.7 million, the new filings show, compared with $11.4 million in January — and much less than the $29.2 million spent by Mr. Biden’s campaign in March. In other words, Mr. Trump’s campaign is guarding resources as it seeks to build a campaign war chest for the general election.

Persons: Donald J, Biden Locations: —

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