Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. quietly changed his policy on race-based reparations — deleting his initial stance from his campaign website — after backlash ensued following reporting by The Post.
The 69-year-old White House hopeful had first stated on his campaign site that he planned to “rebuild black infrastructure” by issuing “direct redress payments or tax credits” to “victims of Jim Crow and other victims of persecution.”
Internet users from the right and left expressed outrage over his reparations policies after The Post reported on his stance, racking up over 5 million views on X.
Those on the right said Kennedy had just lost all support from the GOP, while those on the left said he didn’t go far enough.
One day after The Post’s reporting, Kennedy’s campaign quietly edited his website to expand his policies to “devastated communities across the country.”
“Targeted Community Repair will be available to devastated communities across the country, not just Black,” the site now reads.
“The criteria will be around need, not skin color. However, because there are so many Black communities in need, this program will channel significant resources toward the rebuilding of these most devastated of communities.”
Kennedy also responded to a critical social media post claiming he had never been for race-based reparations.
“My policy of Targeted Community Repair is not the same as race-based reparations. The program will make capital and resources available to the poorest and most desperate communities in America. These include inner cities, the rust belt, Appalachia, the devastated towns of the farm belt, etc. Yes, because Black people are disproportionately poor, this program will benefit them disproportionately. But the criteria will be indicators like poverty, addiction rates, violence, etc. Not skin color,” he wrote on X.
Kennedy’s campaign did not respond at the time of publication on why his policy shifted.
The environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic recently announced an independent run after previously attempting to primary President Biden within the Democratic Party.
His independent bid has some politicos worried he will cause trouble in the general election and could steal votes away from both the right and the left.