Kennedy called the Jan. 6 riots “one of the most polarizing topics on the political landscape” in Friday’s statement.
Topline
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemingly attempted to clarify his stance on the Jan. 6 Capitol riots in a lengthy statement Friday, claiming both Democrats and Republicans are using it “to pour fuel on the fire of America’s divisions,” a day after the 2024 hopeful’s campaign disavowed a fundraising email that referred to the rioters as “activists.”Key Facts
Kennedy said while it was clear many “protestors broke the law,” he admitted he had not examined evidence from the event in detail, but said “reasonable people, including Trump opponents, tell me there is little evidence of a true insurrection,” citing, among other things, that participants didn’t carry weapons—a claim that has been repeatedly refuted.
The independent candidate said he is concerned about political motivations behind prosecution efforts, and in an apparent nod to former President Donald Trump’s claims that his legal issues amount to a “witch hunt,” said such efforts “would fit a disturbing pattern of the weaponization of government agencies…against political opponents.
