Republicans took to Twitter to
applaud the Supreme Court while Democrats
chided President Joe Biden for not doing more after Friday’s
ruling striking down the president’s debt forgiveness program.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has announced his intent to run against Biden in the 2024 primaries for the Democratic presidential candidate, joined voices criticizing Biden after the ruling.
“
The unfortunate SCOTUS ruling striking down President Biden’s #studentloan forgiveness program was the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans,” Kennedy wrote on Twitter. “President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action, while accomplishing nothing. This is an issue of grave importance to our country. As President, I will galvanize public support to pressure Congress to put down their partisan positions and legislate meaningful relief to the tens of millions of Americans who are drowning in student debt.”
Kennedy also addressed the costs of higher education, including a way to provide it at no cost to students.
“I will also take steps to reduce education costs for students. When I was their age, a college education cost about one-seventh of what it is today. A young person could work their way through college and graduate debt-free. If we devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education, it could be virtually free to all (as it is in many other countries),” he continued.
Kennedy has
called for de-escalating the war in Ukraine, saying the United States has had many opportunities to do so.
“Funding higher education is not an entitlement program, it is an investment in America’s future, just as with infrastructure and environment. Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars,” he continued.
A June 10–13 poll (
pdf) showed Kennedy had the highest favorability rating among presidential candidates at 49 percent, exceeding both Biden and Trump.
He has
highlighted these numbers, including 20 percent of Democrats in New Hampshire, in his campaigning while acknowledging that he might not have the traditional
support from the Democratic Party or donors. Some have speculated that his favorability will
drop as Democrats come to familiarize themselves with his platform.
Earlier this
week, Ray Buckley, chairman of the N.H. Democratic Party, posted a letter asking Kennedy to cancel his speech at a local
libertarian event, PorcFest.
“We must express our serious disappointment and grave concerns about your planned participation in this event,” he wrote.
Kennedy responded in the
negative on Twitter: “The Democratic Party Bosses who promote censorship, who have stripped New Hampshire of its rightful First in the Nation primary status, who have shut down debate, who refuse to campaign in New Hampshire, are in no position to tell me who to talk to. I’m going to speak at Porcfest because I believe in freedom, unity, healing the divide, and truth.#LiveFreeorDie.”
