Former Trump Staffer Erupts Over RFK Jr.

Former Trump campaign officials Tricia McLaughlin and Bryan Lanza, who served as the Deputy Communications Director for Trump’s 2016 campaign, pushed back against CNN panelists on Friday evening for branding 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “conspiracy theorist.”

Kennedy had joined forces with Trump during a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, following his decision to suspend his campaign and endorse Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. CNN’s Abby Phillip mentioned that Trump, who was shot in the ear in July, stated that Trump had promised Kennedy a “commission on assassinations” in return for his endorsement.

Phillip labeled Kennedy a “conspiracy theorist” for his belief that the government was involved in the 1963 assassination of his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. McLaughlin criticized Phillip for going even further by referencing a headline from The Atlantic that accused RFK Jr. of being a former drug dealer.

“Are we going to really re-litigate from 30 years ago if RFK was a drug dealer? Its just — what really gets to me, Abby, you know, people throw around this word’ conspiracy theory.’ I remember in October of 2023, people saying, ‘It’s a Republican conspiracy theory that Joe Biden will not be on the ticket. He would not be the nominee.’ Turns out that conspiracy theory that was Republicans apparently came true,” McLaughlin said.

President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket in his place. Reports suggest that Biden’s decision followed weeks of private pressure from leading members of the Democratic Party.

“When we throw this word around, it really kind of takes credibility away from the people who were talking about, especially — there are real conspiracy theories out there,” McLaughlin said.

Amidst the conversation among CNN panelists reacting to McLaughlin, Democratic strategist Keith Boykin voiced his opinion, questioning how Kennedy could endorse “someone antithetical” to his environmentalist beliefs. In response, McLaughlin informed Boykin that Trump is broadening his coalition of supporters.

“I find this whole thing laughable,” Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Solomon Jones chimed in. “He was at 2 percent nationally. He might get some votes in some swing states. He was an alternative when Biden was running against Trump and people didn’t want to vote between two old guys who they didn’t like.”

Lanza countered Jones by asserting that Kennedy introduced an “outsider approach” to the Trump campaign.

“RFK is very much an outsider to the political system,” Lanza said. “You may wanna say he wasn’t kicked out. I’m saying being excluded from the Democratic primary kicks you out of the Democratic Party.”

Jones argued that labeling Kennedy as an outsider is “preposterous,” given his well-known and influential family background.

“The only reason why we take him seriously is because his last name is Kennedy! That’s the only reason!” Jones shouted.

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