Third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocated for scaling again America’s army presence overseas as he addressed supporters in Yorba Linda Wednesday night, June 12, about his international coverage strategy.
Criticizing U.S. international coverage, which he described as “caught in a world that doesn’t exist,” Kennedy mentioned the nation appears to assume that “we’re nonetheless the world’s solely superpower and may bend any nation to its will.”
Kennedy, within the midst of a long-shot bid for the White Home, detailed his international coverage platform on the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, a part of the inspiration’s Presidential Coverage Perspective collection. However whereas he advocated for scaling again the nation’s international interventions, there was no point out of the present conflict in Ukraine or the Israel-Hamas conflict within the Center East, which has rocked native communities and resulted in large protests on college campuses.
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“The muse of a nation’s power is the sound of its infrastructure, the integrity of its authorities, financial power … and respect of selections overseas,” Kennedy mentioned. “We have now to simply accept the emergence of different nice powers on the earth.”
Kennedy has acknowledged earlier than that the U.S. should reduce its military presence abroad. He mentioned the U.S. ought to “vastly cut back the army funds,” most of which he mentioned has no function in defending the homeland. He mentioned he’d suggest a 50% discount in army spending whereas he’s in workplace, if elected, which he mentioned would engender a “stronger, smarter, higher focused nationwide protection.”
These {dollars} must be redirected to the infrastructure, schooling and constructing small companies, Kennedy mentioned.
The first difficulty he’d deal with as president is the nationwide debt, which he cited as “one of many the reason why we have now to chop again from our army funds.”
The nationwide funds deficit at present hovers at round $1.2 trillion.
“Each greenback we spend on weapons might create new jobs,” he mentioned.
With a nod to former President John F. Kennedy, his uncle, Kennedy mentioned, “My uncle spent three years in workplace battling the military-industrial complicated … he understood the first job of the president is to maintain the nation out of conflict.”
“I foresee a day when America will lead the world by instance and never by drive, a day when America stands for peace and never for conflict,” Kennedy mentioned.
Earlier than delving into his international coverage speech, Kennedy, who’s espoused unproven conspiracies, particularly on vaccinations, harped on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He criticized the choice to shut down companies “with no due course of and public hearings.” In an try to gradual the unfold of the virus, nonessential companies had been shuttered and stay-at-home orders had been put into place in early 2020 in many states, including California.
Forward of the night program, Irvine resident Michael Maxsenti, among the many 300 or so guests who paid as much as $75 a ticket for Kennedy’s remarks, mentioned he was impressed by the environmental activist’s dedication to peace all over the world.
Maxsenti, who leads volunteer efforts in Orange County and round California for Kennedy’s marketing campaign, mentioned he agreed with Kennedy’s international coverage strategy, specifically his plans to scale back American army presence abroad.
“We have now to mission our power and energy by way of financial means, not army means,” he mentioned.
Maxsenti, who mentioned he was a “Reagan conservative Republican” till 2010 when he switched to “no celebration desire,” mentioned he felt then, that neither of the 2 main events — when given the chance to steer the nation — delivered outcomes that they had promised.
Maxsenti mentioned he believes Kennedy, as president, would “strategy different nations from a spot of understanding and at all times attempt to search peace.”
Kennedy, who’s to this point on the poll in solely six states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma and Utah — is operating as an unbiased, as is political activist Cornel West, who also recently touched down in Orange County.
Whereas an unbiased candidate has by no means received the presidency, well-known unbiased candidates might doubtlessly spell hassle for main celebration candidates, particularly in battleground states, by siphoning away their assist.
Kennedy, who’s acknowledged by his final identify and longstanding household heritage — except for being the nephew of the previous president, he’s the son of former U.S. Legal professional Normal Robert F. Kennedy — is polling a distant third in California, per an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, however poses a risk to President Joe Biden amongst Latino voters.
A new poll from Vote Latino confirmed Kennedy doing fairly well among Latino voters. One in 5 Latino voters surveyed mentioned they’re contemplating a presidential candidate aside from Biden or former President Donald Trump, based on the ballot, with Kennedy receiving the largest assist amongst candidates not from main events.
Whereas the ballot was not performed in California (it surveyed voters in 5 swing states: Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada, Texas and Pennsylvania), the phenomenon seen in these states amongst Latino voters would maintain for California as effectively, mentioned UC Irvine political science professor Louis DeSipio.
DeSipio mentioned there could also be extra enchantment for third-party candidates in California as a result of it’s not a battleground, thus an “simpler vote” for voters. Plus, there may be frustration amongst Latino voters, who’re youthful than common, with each Trump and Biden due to their “age and notion that neither of them understands the expertise of younger working Latinos,” mentioned DeSipio.
The Kennedy identify may additionally evoke constructive reminiscences for a lot of within the Latino group, DeSipio added, who could recollect his father’s alliance with placing farmworkers within the sixties and battle for civil rights points essential to the Latino group alongside the late labor chief Cesar Chavez. (Chavez’s household, nevertheless, endorsed Biden and has asked Kennedy to stop invoking his name on the marketing campaign path.)
Whether or not the findings of the ballot will nonetheless maintain true in November, DeSipio mentioned he isn’t certain.
“Usually the sample is that voters basically are extra positively inclined towards third celebration candidates months out from the election, however because the elections will get nearer, they return into their regular partisan silos,” he mentioned.
In Yorba Linda, the place the Nixon Library is positioned, Republicans outnumber Democrats by almost double, 47.9% to 26.5%, and two in 10 voters don’t have any celebration desire. The town boasts one of many highest shares of registered Republican voters in Orange County, second solely to close by Villa Park, the place over half of registered voters are Republican.
However the a whole bunch of people that packed the spacious East Room on Wednesday night didn’t present a lot of an urge for food for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, giving Kennedy a standing ovation earlier than and after his speech. A number of individuals within the viewers flashed him a thumbs-up or coronary heart palms on the finish of the night.
A number of vehicles within the parking zone had bumper stickers and indicators that learn “Kennedy 2024.”
Kennedy’s speech was a part of the Nixon Library’s 2024 Presidential Coverage Views collection, for which each and every main celebration declared presidential candidate was invited to go to the Nixon Library and “ship remarks in any format, on any matter,” based on the Library.
Different presidential candidates who’ve spoken on the presidential library embody former 2024 GOP contenders Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Mike Pence and Vivek Ramaswamy.
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