Supreme Court rejects RFK Jr. plea to be removed from ballot in two swing states
NBCOct 31
Supreme Court Rejects RFK Ballot-Removal Request
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The Facts
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Tuesday ruled that former independent candidate for president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan, rejecting his claim that the deadline to withdraw is unconstitutional.
Kennedy, who dropped his presidential bid in August before endorsing Republican former Pres. Donald Trump, argued his First Amendment rights were being violated because leaving him on the ballot wrongly suggested he still wanted to run for president.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Kennedy's attempt to help his new ally, Trump, was destined to fail. As a leaked video of one of his campaign workers proved, Kennedy never believed his constitutional rights were being violated; he just wanted to make sure not to siphon votes from the former president. Kennedy's deceit was further proven by his attempt to get on the ballot in New York while trying to be removed elsewhere.
Republican narrative
This is a defeat for election integrity. It doesn't matter if Kennedy is on the ballot in most states; in the battleground states — where the margin of victory could be very narrow — it's dishonest to risk having people who would be inclined to vote for Trump think they could also vote for Kennedy. This could lead to further questions about the legitimacy of the election.