Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is speaking out after members of his family publicly denounced his decision to run as an independent.
Kennedy joined "FOX & Friends" Tuesday to discuss the "difficult" decision he made to leave the Democratic Party and maintained that he shares the values and views of his father and uncle.
"Leaving the party of my family is very, very difficult for me. But it was a choice that, I didn't feel that I had a choice. And I feel it's the right thing right now because we're seeing that it's the same corporate donors that control both parties, and the parties are in paralysis."
Kennedy discussed what inspired him to run as an independent, saying "we need a strategy for unity" and "bringing people together" in America.
"I think we need somebody who's going to find those areas of agreement, the values we agree on, rather than focus on these little issues that have us at each other's throats."
Kennedy said he is tired of the vitriol and will not engage in personal attacks against former President Trump.
"I feel like I have my own moral center and I'm not going to engage in the bitter, you know, the bitterness. I hope Donald Trump will dispute me on the issues. And we can all talk about the issues that affect America, what's happening to the middle class, the systematic destruction of the middle class."
While some have argued Kennedy will steal support from Trump, his family members expressed concern that he will hurt the Democrats' chances in 2024.
In a statement Monday, Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kennedy's siblings, denounced his candidacy as "perilous for our country." They claimed he does not "share the same values, vision or judgment" as his father, Robert F. Kennedy.
Kennedy said he loves his family and has a lot of support from other members of his family. He disputed the idea that he does not share the values of his father and former President John F. Kennedy.
"Let me say, all the issues that my father and my uncle believed in, if you went down and checked the box and I would check every box. So I believe I'm very much aligned with those things. I'm aligned with a Democratic Party that stood for the working class, was skeptical of the military-industrial complex, was skeptical about corporate control of the government, that was against censorship, fiercely against censorship, and that I was against using fear as a governing tool."
Kennedy said he hopes he can return the feeling of hope in America to the next generation, citing recent poll numbers showing waning pride among Americans.
"This politics of vitriol … we have completely betrayed a generation of American kids. We need to give them something to hope for."
Kennedy announced on Monday that he will be seeking the presidency in an independent run as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) keeps its hat behind President Biden.
"Something is stirring in us, saying it doesn't have to be this way," Kennedy said, adding that Americans are "ready to reclaim their freedom and independence."
FOX News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media
