Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy spurns cousin RFK Jr. and endorses Biden
By
Naomi Lim
May 26, 2024 12:27 pm
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Former Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy III has echoed the sentiment of most of his family in endorsing President Joe Biden for a second term.
During a Sunday interview, Kennedy, son of the late Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, praised Biden for his mental health record. Kennedy is a vocal advocate of more mental health resources and services after his own public problems with bipolar disorder and drug addiction, dating back to when he was treated for cocaine use as a teenager.
“He’s helping take it to the insurance companies by enforcing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which I was honored to author, along with my late father, when we were in Congress,” Kennedy told CNN. “Frankly, he’s also put the most money to community mental health around the country.”
“If you care about this addiction crisis and this mental health crisis, Joe Biden is your candidate,” he said, before alluding to Biden’s son Hunter. “He knows this issue, as you know. It’s personally affected him. And I think that every American can relate to what it’s like for Joe Biden, because we have all had similar circumstances.”
But Kennedy did not directly criticize his cousin, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., when asked whether he was a spoiler in the 2024 election.
“I worry that Donald Trump will be elected, because, of course, as other guests have told you, I mean, democracy really is in peril,” the former congressman said.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3018008/former-rep-patrick-kennedy-spurns-rfk-jr-endorses-biden/