Their number one priority would benefit Trump.
Following the emergence of a video in which she discussed tactics to prevent President Joe Biden’s re-election by manipulating the election process, a campaign staffer for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential bid has been relieved of her duties. Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, RFK Jr.’s campaign manager and daughter-in-law, announced on Wednesday evening through a post on X that the campaign had terminated the contract of Rita Palma, a staffer based in New York. This decision was made upon reviewing a longer video where Palma misrepresented her job title and described a conversation that did not occur.
Confirming her dismissal from the campaign in a text message to NBC News, Palma expressed gratitude for her time with RFK Jr.’s campaign, describing it as a rewarding experience filled with remarkable individuals. She harbored no ill feelings and looked forward to observing Bobby’s progress over the next seven months.
Palma, a vocal critic of vaccine mandates, faced scrutiny over a video where she attempted to persuade Republican voters to support Kennedy’s bid for inclusion on New York’s presidential ballot. In the video, Palma claimed to be the campaign’s New York state director, a title disputed by the campaign, which labeled her as a “ballot access consultant” with no role in electoral strategy. Palma also revealed her previous support for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections but cited disagreements over vaccine policies as the reason for withdrawing her allegiance.
She characterized Biden as the common adversary of Trump and Kennedy supporters, stating that her primary objective was to ensure Biden’s defeat in the election. Palma discussed a strategy to diminish Biden’s support in Democratic strongholds like New York while directing Democratic efforts towards swing states, potentially leading to a scenario where neither Biden nor Trump secured the necessary 270 Electoral College votes, thereby placing the election outcome in the hands of the GOP-led House of Representatives.
NBC News obtained a 36-minute version of the video from a source who downloaded it before its removal from YouTube. According to the description provided on YouTube, the video purportedly took place at a church in Poughkeepsie and was uploaded to the platform on Friday.
