RFK Jr. Campaign Fires Rita Palma for ‘Misrepresentation’

A New York marketing campaign staffer for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who stated that the impartial presidential candidate would assist former President Donald Trump defeat President Joe Biden if he’s on the state’s poll was fired for “misrepresentation,” in keeping with Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign supervisor.

Final week, a video circulated of Rita Palma encouraging an viewers to again Mr. Kennedy on the New York poll as a result of it might assist Mr. Trump beat Mr. Biden in November.

Ms. Palma falsely recognized herself because the New York state director of Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy stated on April 10 on X, previously Twitter.

After the marketing campaign watched the video, Ms. Palma’s involvement was terminated, in keeping with Ms. Kennedy, who’s Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign supervisor and daughter-in-law.

“We terminated her contract for misrepresentation instantly upon seeing the longer video through which she gave an inaccurate job title and described a dialog that didn’t occur,” Ms. Kennedy wrote on X.

Ms. Palma launched a press release after the firing and stated: “My time with Staff Kennedy has been probably the greatest political adventures of my life stuffed with among the best individuals I’ve encountered, and I’ve encountered many. I maintain no unwell will and stay up for the following seven months of watching Bobby shine.”

Within the video, Ms. Palma instructed attendees of an Empire State Republicans assembly that supporting Mr. Kennedy’s poll entry quest in New York would assist “do away with Biden” and make it simpler for Mr. Trump to seize the historically Democratic state.

“If it’s Trump versus Biden, Biden wins. Biden wins six days, seven days per week. With Bobby within the combine, something can occur,” Ms. Palma stated within the video.

“The one means for him, for Bobby, to shake it up and to do away with Biden is that if he’s on the poll in each state, together with New York,” Ms. Palma added.

Upon studying about Ms. Palma’s feedback, Mr. Kennedy’s press secretary Stefanie Spear stated that Ms. Palma is a poll entry marketing consultant who schedules volunteer shifts for the upcoming signature assortment course of in New York.

“She shouldn’t be concerned in electoral technique, nationally or in New York. This was not a marketing campaign occasion. Palma was talking as a non-public citizen and her statements under no circumstances replicate the technique of the Kennedy marketing campaign, which is to win the White Home with votes from former Trump and Biden supporters alike,” Ms. Spear defined.

Ms. Palma famous that she beforehand canvassed for Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania in 2016 and 2020. Backing Mr. Kennedy, she contended, might forestall no candidate from reaching 270 Electoral School votes, resulting in a contingent election determined by state delegations within the U.S. Home.

“So my ideas are, Bobby’s shifting the blues on his personal. If the Republicans face, nicely, I assume accepted the truth that New York, Maryland, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, a lot of the northeast goes to go blue, why wouldn’t we put our vote to Bobby and a minimum of do away with Biden and get these 28 electoral votes in New York … give these 28 electoral votes to Bobby somewhat than to Biden, thereby decreasing Biden’s 270,” Ms. Palma stated.

“Who’re they going to choose? If it’s a Republican Congress, they’ll choose Trump. So we’re rid of Biden both means,” Ms. Palma added.

“We’re all on the identical staff proper now, and we’ll be on the identical staff later, so long as Trump or Kennedy wins,” she continued.

Democratic Nationwide Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni famous that Ms. Palma’s feedback present that Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign “isn’t constructing a plan or a method to get 270 electoral votes, they’re constructing one to assist Trump return to the Oval Workplace.”

The DNC has accused Mr. Kennedy of being a “stalking horse” to “prop up” President Trump.

Final month, the group introduced the creation of a staff to counter third-party and impartial presidential candidates.

It employed Lis Smith, a veteran Democrat strategist who managed Pete Buttigieg’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential marketing campaign, to spearhead an aggressive communication plan to fight Mr. Kennedy, impartial Cornel West, and Inexperienced Celebration nominee Jill Stein.

The DNC and the president’s supporters are accusing Mr. Kennedy of being propped up by the Trump motion, in addition to highlighting comparable Trump–Kennedy coverage stances within the areas of border safety, U.S. funding for Ukraine, and vaccine mandates.

“It’s clear that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is being propped up and funded by Donald Trump and his allies as a result of they consider that he’s a helpful stalking horse who might throw the election Trump’s means.

“We have to sound that alarm each day between now and the election,” Ms. Smith stated.

Mr. Kennedy entered the presidential race final April, difficult President Biden for the Democrat occasion’s nomination.

After encountering a number of hurdles by the DNC and accusing the group of “rigging the first” and never permitting any candidate to compete towards President Biden, Mr. Kennedy introduced he would run as an impartial in October 2023.

Whereas the DNC and pro-Biden teams are working to derail Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign, Mr. Trump’s marketing campaign has been largely quiet in regards to the impartial presidential candidate.

Mr. Trump has known as Mr. Kennedy “probably the most radical left candidate within the race” however has additionally stated that “I like that he’s working” and “He’s significantly better than Biden. If I have been a Democrat, I’d vote for RFK Jr. each single time over Biden.”

Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign is working to get on the poll in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a feat the candidate has stated a number of occasions that he’ll accomplish.

He’ll seem at a voter rally in Des Moines, Iowa on April 13 the place the marketing campaign intends to collect sufficient signatures in someday to qualify for the poll in that state.

In New York, Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign should acquire 45,000 legitimate signatures between April 16 and Could 28 to get on the poll.