There’s been a surprising accusation made against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a current Democratic presidential candidate, by Lawrence O’Donnell, an MSNBC host. According to O’Donnell, Kennedy suffers from an addiction. But before you jump to conclusions, this isn’t about the kind of addiction that requires rehab; it’s an addiction to attention. O’Donnell went so far as to draw parallels between Kennedy and former President Donald Trump, dubbing them both ‘attention addicts.’
Despite Kennedy’s known history of substance abuse, namely heroin, this time, the accusation was not drug-related. Instead, O’Donnell’s comment reflects on the lure and influence of the media spotlight.
During his program, O’Donnell said, “I’ve been very reluctant to speak about Robert Kennedy Jr. on this program because I have not wanted to enable his access to the drug addiction that he has never conquered,” subtly referencing Kennedy’s penchant for public attention rather than substances.
As he continued, he likened Kennedy’s thirst for attention to that of Trump. He said, “The addiction to attention. The very same addiction that has driven Donald Trump in all of his adult life.”
Earlier in his program, O’Donnell dismissed RFK Jr’s campaign against President Joe Biden as nothing more than a “stunt”, emphatically stating that Kennedy would not win a single primary. He predicted that Biden would be the Democratic nominee and raised a question about Kennedy’s plans if he lost, asking if he would support the Democratic nominee or run as a third-party candidate.
According to a recent Harvard Harris poll, Kennedy lags behind Biden by a significant 46 percentage points. The poll reported 62 percent of respondents favored Biden, compared to Kennedy’s 16 percent. However, interestingly enough, Kennedy appears to have the upper hand in terms of favorability, scoring a 47 percent rating among those polled, compared to Biden’s 37 percent.
The poll also indicated that if the Democratic primary were held today, 16 percent of Democrats would vote for Kennedy. If Biden were to drop out of the race, 22 percent said they’d vote for Kennedy, with Vice President Kamala Harris being the more popular option at 44 percent.
Trump and Kennedy have recently shared cordial words. The former president praised Kennedy’s intelligence while Kennedy hailed Trump as the best debater since the iconic debates between Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democratic Sen. Stephen Douglas in 1858.
In a refreshing call for unity, Kennedy said during a NewsNation town hall, “I’m proud that President Trump likes me. We’ve got to stop hating on each other.”
As these unexpected connections and accusations unfold, it’s clear that the dynamics of politics remain as unpredictable and fascinating as ever.
