Independent candidate for President Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Southern Arizona this week, drawing a large crowd in Tucson and visiting officials on the border in Cochise County.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and Cochise College Executive Vice President James Perey hosted the presidential candidate for a conversation on border issues with members of the community.
Kennedy and Dannels, along with law enforcement members from the group, traveled to the new border center for a situational briefing before taking a trip to the border.
While on the border, Kennedy told reporter Ali Bradley, “I’m not gonna need legislation,” referring to the “border security bill” under consideration in the US Senate in response to the wide-open border. “I’m gonna do this by executive order and I’m gonna do it on day one.”
.@RobertKennedyJr says he wants to look into the United Nations role in encouraging migrants from China to come to the U.S. —He also says their support of the caravans is not a good use of funds: pic.twitter.com/A0PHGr9SZp
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) February 7, 2024
Kennedy called the recent bipartisan border Senate bill “a disaster. We’ve already spent $113B on this proxy war in Ukraine. Requesting an additional $60B when we have so many problems at home including inflation and the border crisis is reckless.”
The new Senate Bill is a disaster. We’ve already spent $113B on this proxy war in Ukraine.
Requesting an additional $60B when we have so many problems at home including inflation and the border crisis is reckless.
No more money for Ukraine until we have a… pic.twitter.com/HiVauGjslu
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 5, 2024
Later, on X.com, Kennedy tweeted, “If President Biden wanted to stop this, he could stop it overnight.”
If President Biden wanted to stop this, he could stop it overnight. https://t.co/InSvvnbUgo
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 7, 2024
Earlier in the week, Kennedy hosted a packed rally at the Fox Theatre in Tucson in an attempt to get on the Arizona ballot.
Kennedy, taking a popular populist tone, criticized Big Pharma and addressed the border crisis.
“I’ve been representing people and just everyday Americans in litigation against big corporations that have poisoned them, that have disrupted their lives,” Kennedy said.
On Substack, Kennedy shared how ballot access laws for independent and third-party candidates are among the worst forms of voter suppression in America today. But Kennedy is confident that with the groundswell of support for his campaign, he will be on the ballot in every state.
“Normally, independent candidates pay companies millions of dollars to gather signatures,” Kennedy explained. “We’re taking a different route that starts with our thousands of volunteers in each state.”
At upcoming campaign rallies, Kennedy supporters can add their signatures to the official ballot petition.
“We have begun signature collection in many open states,” said Press Secretary Stefanie Spear. “We’re ready for whatever comes our way. We have the field teams, volunteers, legal teams, paid circulators, supporters, and strategy ready to get ‘Bobby on the Ballot.’”
A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Kennedy outpaces Biden and Trump among independents — Kennedy 36%, Biden 32%, and Trump 26%. Kennedy beats Trump and Biden among voters ages 18-34 with 40% of the vote compared to Biden’s 36% and Trump’s 21%.