(TheProudRepublic.com) – In a remarkable U-turn – yet one producing a position that still seems neither here nor there – independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has “quietly” altered his stance on race-based reparations after suffering tremendous backlash from both the right and the left.
RFK Jr., who recently quit the 2024 Democratic nomination race to become a third-party candidate, subtly revised his policy on race-based reparations by removing his original position from his campaign website, The New York Post reports.
Kennedy, 69, had initially articulated on his campaign website his intention to “rebuild black infrastructure” through “direct redress payments or tax credits” aimed at “victims of Jim Crow and other victims of persecution.”
This policy elicited a fervent reaction online from both conservative and lefty social media users after The Post highlighted Kennedy’s reparations stance in an article that was viewed over 5 million views.
Critics on the right proclaimed RFK Jr. had effectively alienated all support from the Republican Party, while those on the left contended his approach was far from sufficient to heed their demands.
Within a day of The Post’s report, Kennedy’s campaign discreetly updated his website to broaden his “reparations” policy to include “devastated communities across the country.”
Thus, the revised policy on the website now states as follows,
“Targeted Community Repair will be available to devastated communities across the country, not just Black. 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.”
Addressing criticism on social media, Kennedy clarified that his position did not equal handing out reparation payments based on race.
“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.,” the independent presidential candidate wrote.
“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 elaborated.
His campaign has not issued an explanation on the reasons for changing his reparations stance.
