How third-party and independent U.S. candidates could threaten Democrats and Republicans in 2024
CTV
While the politics are murky, the fresh frenzy of outsider candidates threatens to weaken both major parties as U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump tighten their grip on their party's presidential nominations.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and scion of the storied U.S. Democratic dynasty, launched an independent presidential bid on Monday. Cornel West, a philosopher and Black social leader, made the same choice last week. And No Labels, a new political party, is intensifying candidate recruitment efforts.
While the politics are murky, the fresh frenzy of outsider candidates threatens to weaken both major parties as U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump tighten their grip on their party's presidential nominations.
There's little concern that the independent or third-party candidates would actually win the presidency, but they could siphon support from the ultimate Democratic and Republican nominees. A heightened sense of concern is spreading especially among Democratic officials, who see the outsiders as a dangerous wildcard that harkens back to 2016, when Green Party nominee Jill Stein may have enabled Trump's razor-thin victory by winning a small portion of the vote.
Those associated with the third-party efforts make no apologies for their work.
"The American people have been hungry for options. So, get ready," Stein said in an interview. "What we're seeing is a voter rebellion. It's been a long time coming."
The rise of outsider candidates is an acute reminder of the intense volatility -- and uncertainty -- that hangs over the 2024 presidential election. Both of the major parties' most likely nominees -- Biden and Trump -- are extraordinarily unpopular. They're running as the nation grapples with dangerous political divisions, economic anxiety and a deep desire for a new generation of leadership in Washington.
Much more activity is expected soon.
A federal gun case against U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter opened Monday with jury selection, following the collapse of a plea deal that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close the 2024 election. First lady Jill Biden was seated in the front row of the courtroom, in a show of support for her son.
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding "miscalculations and misunderstandings."