- RFK Jr.'s candidacy is propelled in large part by people who just don't like their other options.
- 44% of his supporters are mostly just voting against Trump and Biden, polling shows.
- 50% are supporting him because they're actually into him.
In case it wasn't clear enough: many of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s supporters are mostly just dissatisfied with their other choices.
The independent presidential candidate, according to a new poll, is benefiting significantly from the support of voters who do not like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.
According to new polling conducted by The New York Times, Siena College, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, 44% of RFK Jr.'s supporters said they're mostly voting against the other candidates in the race.
Meanwhile, just 50% say they're mostly voting for Kennedy, who's best known for promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines and whose family has largely endorsed Biden.
He's not necessarily alone in that position.
So-called "negative partisanship" — voting for one party largely out of disgust or fear of the other — has long been a key driver of support for both Trump and Biden, both of whom are relatively unpopular with voters.
According to the poll, antipathy toward Biden and Trump is an especially strong motivator among Kennedy's more educated supporters, including 53% of his supporters who have a college degree.
Polling has also shown that Kennedy — a former Democrat — is not just a threat to Biden, but to Trump as well. Perhaps his biggest fan on Capitol Hill is Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin — though Johnson has said he will vote for Trump.