Politics

Democrats can’t afford to laugh off RFK Jr.’s biggest appeal to voters

Published

1 year ago

November 12, 2024

Democrats can’t afford to laugh off RFK Jr.’s biggest appeal to voters

In the days since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump, the former candidate has promised to provoke a “realignment” of environmental politics. While criticizing Democrats for “divisive” climate policies, Kennedy has made the case for environmental policies that could, he believes, “unite the nation,” including a focus on clean air and water, restoring the health of soils, and removing plastics, pesticides and toxic chemicals from supply chains.

There’s one problem with Kennedy’s vision for an environmental realignment: It rests on the electoral vehicle of Trump.

Recently, Kennedy won a vigorous endorsement for this so-called “Make America Healthy Again” agenda from Tucker Carlson in an interview that went viral last week. But there’s one problem with Kennedy’s vision for an environmental realignment: It rests on the electoral vehicle of Trump, who as president appointed profiteers from the plastics industry and Big Agriculture to key roles responsible for food and water safety, gave lobbyists from chemical companies a wish list of concessions, appointed Supreme Court justices who gutted government authority to regulate toxic substances, and now promises to cut government watchdogs and remove “forever chemicals” like PFAS from hazardous substance lists. And that’s to say nothing of his legacy on climate.

It’s easy enough for Democrats to laugh off Kennedy’s comments. Instead, they should make a serious play for his voters.

There’s a clear electoral case for doing so. While Kennedy’s support fell to roughly 5% in three-way matchups nationally after Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race, there was widespread evidencethat the third-party candidate was pulling more from Harris than from Trump. Although it’s hard to forecastwhether Kennedy will be able to persuade his supporters to vote for the Republican, even a single percentage point could be decisive in an election as close as this one. Look at Florida in 2000. Or any of the “blue wall” states in 2016.

Yet, there’s more at play here than swing state electoral math. Kennedy is seeking to give the Republicans something they haven’t had since the Nixon era: a way to claim the mantle of environmentalism. In an age of widespread distrust of big institutions, Kennedy is arguing that Americans can support the environment without supporting big-government climate policies. He is speaking directly to now-substantial wellness-focused demographic subgroups — organic moms, natural parenting advocates, fitness bros — who prioritize clean food, air and water but, especially since the pandemic, are leery of federal agencies and government authority.

So how should Democrats make the case to these voters?

Tell the truth. Drive home the message that Trump is the candidate of toxic chemicals.

While Trump has tried to distance himself from the Project 2025 blueprint, the key environment plans in the document were written by Trump appointees and match with his own promises to gut the “administrative state.” Project 2025 would remove the “hazardous substances” designation of PFAS chemicals — perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl as well as related “forever chemicals.” Federal watchdogs finalized the classification of these substances in April, drawing on evidence that they present a serious threat to human health, including a range of cancers, cardiovascular disease, liver issues and fetal development issues. Extensive research demonstrates that such chemicals damage the functioning of the endocrine system and undercutmen’s testosterone and fertility levels, a fact that should concern Trump’s macho base. Project 2025 plans from Trump advisers moreover seek to eliminate the government’s authority to track Americans’ cumulative exposure to a wide range of toxic chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Acta key defense against virtually all the toxic chemicals that Kennedy warns against.

Extensive research demonstrates that such chemicals damage the functioning of the endocrine system and undercut men’s testosterone and fertility levels, a fact that should concern Trump’s macho base.

To win would-be RFK Jr. voters, Democrats should also propose a proactive agenda on these issues. The Biden administration recently announceda new program to reduce single-use plastics in federal government operations, enhance plastics cleanup, strengthen regulations on toxic emissions from plastics, and modernize plastics recycling infrastructure. But Harris can go further. Her campaign should unveil a more comprehensive plan to counter PFAS and forever chemicals in the food system and supply chains.

Blockbuster reportingin The New York Times last week revealed how toxic sewage sludge with extremely high levels of PFAS and “forever chemicals” is being used to fertilize roughly 70 million acres of U.S. farmland and has been implicated in the deaths of livestock, not to mention untold risks to human health. The Times reported that the EPA has encouraged the use of these recycled biosoils in order to reduce the use of fertilizers made from fossil fuels. Harris could demonstrate her commitment to addressing toxic chemical threats and, in so doing, make a play for RFK Jr. voters by taking a stand to ensure that the government agencies no longer promote the use of such recycled fertilizers.

Trump — who recently promised the oil industrythat he would do anything it wants in exchange for a billion dollars for his campaign — has clear reasons to be beholden to the petrochemical industry as well as Big Ag and manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods. But Harris can and should welcome a fight with these interest groups.

In his interviewwith Carlson, Kennedy passionately declared that “the reason we protect the environment is because there’s a spiritual connection … there’s a love that we have. Our connection to the fish and the birds and the whales and the purple mountains majesty.” This, he argued, is what animated his campaign.

To seize an electoral opportunity, Democrats need to press the case: a vote for Trump is no way to express your love and commitment to Mother Nature.

Justin Talbot Zorn

Justin Talbot Zorn is senior adviser at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., a former senior congressional staffer, and author of a book on the politics of mindfulness. He’s written for the Washington Post,LA Times, New Republic, TIMEand other publications.

Politics

Trump plays Texas hold ’em with Senate endorsement

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

As the MAGA faithful gather for another day of CPAC in Grapevine, Texas, they are openly celebrating what they believe is tantamount to a major midterms victory: keeping President Donald Trump from endorsing John Cornyn ahead of May’s GOP Senate primary runoff.

MAGA world is taking a victory lap — and fresh comfort — in the receipts: A lack of significant spending and polling so far by not only Cornyn’s campaign, but also the NRSC and One Nation, the Senate Leadership Fund-aligned nonprofit. It amounts to a pattern the MAGA cohort reads as Washington making peace with a matchup between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, their anointed candidate, and Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

“The grassroots stood in the breach and said a resounding ‘NO’ to Cornyn,” Steve Bannon, who has framed Paxton’s bid for the nomination as a battle for MAGA’s soul, told Blue Light News. “Polling and spending indicates that the Republican DC establishment reluctantly concurs. This could be the victory that empowers MAGA through the midterms.”

Paxton, though, hasn’t rested his case. He traveled to Mar-a-Lago last Friday for a Palm Beach County GOP dinner, and was spotted speaking to Trump himself, according to three sources familiar.

Trump and Paxton were on the patio, one source added, with another saying the two discussed the runoff. “It was a positive meeting,” said yet another person. A Paxton spokesperson declined to comment on the meeting.

It’s the latest sign of a fierce and feverish effort to keep Trump from endorsing Cornyn.

Even when all signs pointed to a Cornyn endorsement following the longtime senator’s showing in the primary, MAGA faithful kept pressing for Paxton. Now they’re optimistic their guy can come out on top — and they’re still taking shots at Cornyn every chance they get.

“The Cornyn endorsement looks dead, but it’s Trump, so it’s never certain,” a person close to the White House said. “Cornyn sealed his fate by carrying Mitch [McConnell]’s water on that ridiculous gun grabbing bill. No one thought he would be dumb enough to run for reelection after that but here we are.”

Now, Trump may not give an endorsement at all. Or if he does, he may endorse Paxton after the SAVE Act debate in the Senate is over, three sources tell Blue Light News.

“Nothing is dead,” said a source familiar with the president’s thinking. “It’s all just stasis at the moment.”

“It’s looking like he may not endorse at all,” another White House official said. “But it doesn’t seem like he has made up his mind.”

But the endorsement equation in Texas amid the SAVE Act saga is still very much vexing Trump, according to five Republicans in and around the White House. The president, who will not be in attendance at this year’s CPAC, is “being patient” and “trying to exact” a policy win, another person said.

“Trump isn’t going to endorse against Cornyn while the Save America Act is still being debated,” one White House ally said. “So for now I think he stays out, but if Thune files cloture and Paxton continues to lead in every poll then I could see him endorsing Paxton. No question Paxton wins if Trump stays out though.”

Every Republican who spoke to Blue Light News cautioned that Trump could change his mind at any moment. It’s still early for the runoff, they said, with Election Day still nearly two months away. But the deadline for a candidate to drop off the ballot passed last week.

One person familiar told Blue Light News that the Senate Leadership Fund and NRSC aren’t spending in order to conserve resources. “Not cause they are throwing in the towel,” this person said.

The campaign will be spending soon, a Cornyn spokesperson said. “Ken Paxton said he needed $20M to win this primary and he’s barely raised a quarter of that,” said Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak. “His professional failures and indefensible personal conduct make GOP donors and Texas primary voters deeply uncomfortable.” He added: “We have a plan to win this race and we are executing it. Ken Paxton is busy whining and hiding.”

Chris LaCivita, one of Trump’s top campaign hands who works as a senior adviser for the pro-Cornyn super PAC Texans for a Conservative Majority, said the runoff boils down to a resource equation. “The question remains the same,” LaCivita said. “Does the GOP want to spend $150-200 million holding what should be a safe seat and giving up other opportunities to gain advantage?”

Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the NRSC, said it’s “been very clear that the fight to protect President Trump’s Senate Majority should not be fought in Texas, and John Cornyn is the only candidate who ensures that does not happen.”

When it comes to money, Republicans are planning for MAGA Inc. to be “responsible for resources needed in a general election if it’s Ken Paxton,” according to two GOP operatives briefed on strategy (one cautioned that “planning is probably more hoping.”). A MAGA Inc. spokesperson declined to comment.

On the sidelines of CPAC, where bedazzled and sequined conservatives gathered for the base’s annual pep rally, the overwhelming feeling was that most Texas GOP primary voters had already made up their minds — and a Trump endorsement in either direction wouldn’t make much of a difference. Some attendees said they viewed Trump’s silence as a nudge toward Paxton.

“Texans — we’re done,” said Gregorio Heise, a Paxton supporter and Republican running for Congress in Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Dallas district. “It’s already showing, even in the polling. Cornyn doesn’t do what Texans want, and [Paxton] does.”

On Friday night at CPAC, attendees will hear from Paxton, who’s headlining the conference’s Ronald Reagan dinner. Cornyn isn’t planning to attend.

“It’s an opportunity to be able to, you know, share your vision and basically sell yourself to the crowd, to the Texas crowd,” CPAC host and organizer Mercedes Schlapp told Blue Light News. “So Ken Paxton agreed to come, and he has a very high CPAC rating. And you know, we’ve invited Cornyn, and so we are still open. The invitation is still open for John Cornyn to come.”

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