“Do NOT vote for me.”

Topline

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – who suspended his presidential campaign in August and endorsed former President Donald Trump – urged people across the U.S. not to vote for him amid continued concerns that third-party candidates could influence the election results in at least two key ones states could distort.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former Democratic and independent presidential candidate, is pushing for it … (+) In states where he is on the ballot, supporters are voting for former President Donald Trump, not him.

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Important facts

“No matter what state you live in, you should vote for Donald Trump. And let me tell you why. This is the only way we can bring me and everything I stand for to Washington, DC, and accomplish the mission that motivated my campaign,” Kennedy said in a video posted Monday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Kennedy was able to remove his name from the ballot in most key battleground states, but remains on the ballot in dozens of states, including the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin, where some voters say they will continue to support him – which Trump or Trump takes key votes away from Vice President Kamala Harris in what is expected to be a close election.

Five percent of self-described Republicans said they supported Kennedy in that poll, as did 6 percent of independents, the Free Press reported (the poll had a margin of error of 4 points and surveyed 600 likely voters).

A Marquette University Law School poll conducted Oct. 16-24 and released Oct. 30 found Harris leading Trump 46% to 44% in a multi-candidate race in Wisconsin, while Kennedy – one Majority of his supporters – said they would support Trump if asked to vote – received 5% of the vote (the poll had a margin of error of 4.4 and surveyed 753 likely voters).

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Cons

Third-party candidates could also harm Harris. The Detroit Free Press poll found that Green Party candidate Jill Stein — who was accused of stealing votes from Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has 3% support in the latest Michigan poll, potentially enough to swing the outcome influence. Only 1% of self-identified Democrats in the poll said they would vote for Stein, but 13% of independents said they would vote for her, the Free Press reported. In the Marquette poll for Wisconsin, Stein — whose supporters largely preferred Harris over Trump — had less support, polling just 1% in a multi-candidate race.

Important background

Kennedy launched his presidential bid as a Democrat before running as an independent. He suspended his campaign on August 23, admitted he had no “realistic path to victory” and supported Trump. After his exit, Kennedy said he would remove his name from the ballot in states where he could be a spoilsport and was able to get away with it in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina, as well as a number of other states – The However, New York Times reported that he remained on the ballot in nearly 30 states as of mid-October.

Big number

1.1. Harris was leading Trump by as many points nationally as of Monday afternoon, according to FiveThiryEight's national polling average. However, in the RealClearPolitics poll average, Trump was ahead by 0.1 points.

Crucial quote

“A disputed election result would be a catastrophe for our divided nation,” Kennedy said in the video. “President Trump must win a landslide victory, both in the Electoral College and the popular vote. He cannot do this unless my supporters join him. So look at the bigger picture. We must unite.”

tangent

Kennedy appealed to the Supreme Court to be barred from voting in both Michigan and Wisconsin, but the court denied his request late last week. Kennedy had argued that the states violated his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by keeping him on the ballot after he requested his removal. As usual, the Supreme Court offered no reasoning.