Dem
51
GOP
49
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needs everything to go right just to get on the ballot in enough states that have a total of 270 electoral votes. If he fails this, he is mathematically eliminated from possibly being elected president. The last thing he needs now is dissension within his campaign. But that is what he now has.
Angela Stanton King, a former Trump supporter, was a high-profile figure in Kennedy's campaign. She was in charge of Black engagement. Now she is quitting the campaign in a huff, citing "an increasingly hateful and divisive atmosphere" that "no longer aligns with my values." Neither King nor the campaign had any further explanation.
At the debut of vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan, who has been AWOL since her debut, King was there to praise Shanahan. King said: "I don't fall in love with a lot of people, but I fell in love with Nicole."
King is not without controversy. She was convicted of taking part in a stolen-vehicle ring and was pardoned by Donald Trump after serving 6 months of home confinement. She then ran for a U.S. House seat in Alabama as a supporter of QAnon and was crushed. Some things are too much, even for Alabama. She also called for a military coup against Joe Biden in 2021. Clearly this is the kind of résumé that would stand out to Kennedy.
Part of the reason for her departure might be related to abortion. Within the Kennedy campaign, there has been a spirited discussion about what Kennedy should pretend to believe. At first, Kennedy said he would not support government restrictions on abortion care, but after pressure from King, an anti-abortion activist, Kennedy reversed himself. Currently, Kennedy is back to his original position: the government should not get involved in abortions, one way or the other. It is possible that the most recent flip-flop is what caused King to jump ship. In any event, constantly changing positions gives both parties ammo to use against Kennedy. (V)