The Kennedy family endorsed President Biden, not RFK Jr., in North Philly as he wrapped Pa. tour

As he seeks to hold on to a delicate Democratic coalition, President Joe Biden capped off his three-day tour of Pennsylvania with a visit Thursday to Philadelphia, where he accepted the endorsements of members of the Kennedy family.

It was a prominent showing of support from the relatives of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, who is mounting an independent bid that could potentially pull voters from the Democratic president.

The event also had the dual purpose of tying Biden closely to some of the most revered figures in his party’s history after a string of events in the state that have leaned heavily into the president’s personal history and connections to Pennsylvania.

The North Philadelphia event, at a recreation center named for Martin Luther King Jr., created an image that harked back to the 1960s when a political realignment saw Black voting power grow within the Democratic Party. Biden’s prospects against former President Donald Trump in the crucial swing state could hinge on whether Black voters turn out in large numbers in the heavily Democratic city.

Standing side-by-side with Kennedy family members, many of whom share the same smile, also provided a chance for Biden to continue telling a personal narrative that he’s spun throughout the last three days. He often says the Kennedy family, specifically Robert F. Kennedy, whose bust he keeps in the Oval Office, helped shape his decision to go into public service.

“He inspired me and his passion and courage inspired my generation,” Biden said in Philadelphia.

Fifteen members of the Kennedy family endorsed Biden, including Kerry Kennedy, the sister of the independent presidential candidate, who referred to the race as a two-person contest between the president and Trump. The daughter of RFK and niece of President John F. Kennedy — revered Democratic leaders who were slain in the 1960s — Kennedy directly tied the president to her father’s legacy and the larger cause of civil rights.

“I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father, Robert F. Kennedy, who proudly served as attorney general of the United States, and honored his pledge to uphold the law and protect the country,” Kerry Kennedy said. “Daddy stood for equal justice, human rights, and freedom from want and fear. Just as President Biden does today.”

Biden invoked RFK’s 1968 speech in the aftermath of King’s assassination, noting that riots had broken out across the country in the wake of the civil rights leader’s murder.

“And then we heard a familiar voice ... Your dad, Bobby Kennedy, standing in the back of a truck in Indianapolis asking for peace,” Biden recalled.

Biden’s campaign events in the Philadelphia area have repeatedly centered on historical moments. He spoke near Valley Forge about fighting against tyranny, at Independence Hall about threats to democracy, and at the Constitution Center about voting rights.

Thursday’s event evoked the civil rights era. During the 1960 presidential campaign, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy called Coretta Scott King to express sympathy after her husband was convicted of a probation violation for his role in an Atlanta sit-in, while his brother and campaign manager Robert made phone calls on King’s behalf.

Upon his release, King said he owed a “great debt of gratitude to Senator Kennedy and his family,” a public statement that helped boost crucial African American support for Kennedy in his narrow victory against Republican nominee Richard Nixon.

Black voters are poised to play a similarly crucial role in this election as former President Donald Trump and Biden head into Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary and their anticipated November rematch deadlocked in polling.

Former Philadelphia State Rep. John White Jr., whose son works on Biden’s campaign, introduced the president and the Kennedys. Calling himself a son of the civil rights movement, White told a heavily African American crowd, “Our democracy is in danger.”

“If Black Lives Matter, so do Black livelihoods,” White added to loud applause.

The event was emblematic of some of the key constituencies Biden needs to bring together, including older Democrats and Black Philadelphians.

It also had signs of his vulnerabilities. Outside, pro-Palestinian protesters, who have shown up at every event Biden held in the state this week, voiced their outrage over Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza and called for a permanent cease-fire. They banged instruments and held signs that read, “Stop the massacre of Palestinians, Stop the killing of children.”

The Kennedy endorsements displayed the Biden campaign’s concerns that Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy could siphon votes from him and aid Trump. Kennedy Jr., who launched his independent campaign for the presidency in Philadelphia in October, consistently polls around 7% or 9% in statewide surveys.

Biden won the state by less than 1 percentage point in 2020, despite Trump gaining ground in Philadelphia. Attendees showed concern over the role of RFK Jr. and other third-party candidates in a tight race.

Darryl Schuler, who runs the Philly anti-violence group Put it Down, worried that Black voters, who are a powerful and sought-after voting bloc in the city, could abandon Biden in support of Kennedy. ”It’s his past history with his family, what they stand for,” Schuler said.

”It’s not good,” he said. “Not if you don’t want Trump in office.”

Tariem Burroughs, a 42-year-old West Philly resident, referenced the 2016 election and said that he believed Green Party candidate Jill Stein pulled votes from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who narrowly lost Pennsylvania. He said he was worried RFK Jr. could play a similar role this election.

”It would be weird if I said I wasn’t,” he said.

Rory Kennedy, RFK’s daughter, and Joe Kennedy III, RFK’s grandson and a former congressman, appeared at the endorsement event along with about a dozen other members of the Kennedy family. The Kennedys had signaled their support for Biden before the official endorsement, with a photograph at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day.

The Republican National Committee dismissed the family’s endorsement of the president as insignificant to his race with Trump.

”It’s poetic that near 50-year career politician Joe Biden wants support from the original career politicians in the Kennedy family. Unfortunately for Biden, voters in this century are suffering from his failures on everything from the economy to the border, which is why he’s losing to President Trump in battleground states across the country,” RNC chair Michael Whatley said in a statement.

Kennedy Jr. said in a statement that he commends his family for engaging in politics, even if they have different opinions.

“We are divided in our opinions but united in our love for each other,” he said on X. ”I hold this as a possibility for America too. Can we disagree without hating our opponents? Can we restore civility and respect to public discourse? I think we can.”

Following the endorsement event, Biden and members of the Kennedy family joined campaign volunteers and supporters by making calls and knocking on doors.

Before flying back to Washington (with a stop at Wawa en route), Biden told the smaller group of Philadelphia volunteers: “You’re my ticket to the White House. You, Pennsylvania.”

This article contains information from the Associated Press.