Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. called upon President Joe Biden to take a mental acuity test amid concerns about his health and ability to lead. The challenge came after the special counsel’s report that indicated that Biden suffered from a failing memory.
Kennedy, also known by his initials RFK, said that the president “needs to come out of the White House and show Americans that he has the cognitive capacity, to, and the mental acuity, to handle this job at probably the most challenging time now, at least in recent American history.”
The candidate said that the nation was facing “existential” threats.
“We need a president who is thinking about these things, who is articulating a solution for the American people,” RFK said.
Kennedy said that Biden needed to show that he could demonstrate ” complex and nuanced thought.”
He added that he has known the president for 40 years and argued that Biden had a “kind of fundamental decency.”
Kennedy’s comments also came as public concern regarding Biden’s age and health have increased since special counsel Robert Hur released his report regarding Biden’s alleged retention of classified documents.
Hur did not recommend charges against the president despite believing that he willfully retained sensitive documents from his time as vice president due to significant cognitive concerns.
The special counsel wrote that a case went to trial, Biden would present himself as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Kennedy’s campaign has already had an effect in the political battle between Biden and former President Donald Trump. Kennedy recently qualified for the Arizona state ballot and seeks access from all 50 states.
A number of polls have shown Kennedy with significant support when included in the surveys. This includes significant support at the federal level, as well as surprising strength in statewide polls.
Most polls indicate that with Kennedy on the ballot, Trump’s overall lead over Biden in most polls has grown. A spate of recent surveys indicate that Trump’s advantage is solidified by RFK’s inclusion.
Emerson/The Hill poll of Trump-Biden-RFK Jr-West-Stein matchup in swing states:
• Nevada: Trump +10
• North Carolina: Trump +9
• Georgia: Trump +9
• Arizona: Trump +6
• Pennsylvania: Trump +5
• Wisconsin: Trump +4
• Michigan: Trump +3
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NEVADA
Trump 44% (+10)
Biden 34%… https://t.co/ziD9NR1Q8R pic.twitter.com/j8AS8QiUry— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) February 27, 2024