The chaotic campaign trail of the 2024 US election has seen the unlikeliest of alliances being formed. One such alliance is undoubtedly between the former Democrat turned independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr and Donald Trump, who endorsed the GOP nominee earlier in August.
Since becoming the Democratic Party nominee, Harris has surged ahead of Trump in most swing states, forcing the former president to rethink his strategy. What has happened since then is the inclusion of many non-MAGA faces within the fold of the Trump campaign, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr and former Republican Tulsi Gabbard have been key names.
On one hand, the inclusion has given a fresh look to the Republican ticket amid the falling popularity of Trump. On the other, it has exacerbated their differences even more, making voters wonder how such contrasting views can exist under one umbrella. And, one such issue is animal cruelty.
Following debunked rumours that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pet cats and ducks, Trump supporters have tried to project Trump as the saviour of animals. They flooded social media with AI-generated images of Trump along with cats and ducks. The 78-year-old then doubled down on the claims, which has been debunked by Springfield police, at the presidential debate stage on September 10.
While Trump is projecting himself as the saviour of animals, the allegations of animal cruelty against RFK Jr are not sitting well with many. In a July 2024 report by Joe Hagan on Vanity Fair, a photo of the former environmental lawyer surfaced in which he was seen posing with a cooked dog carcass. He had reportedly texted the image to a friend earlier in 2024.
Then, on Saturday (September 14), RFK Jr said that he is being investigated in a case of decapitating a dead whale and transporting its skull across state lines.
“I received a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute saying that they were investigating me for collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago,” he said in reaction to the report which came after an environmental group brought up the story recently. He described it as the "weaponization of our government against political opponents."
Animals entered the discourse of the election with JD Vance's infamous 'childless cat lady' comment, as he was describing some Democrat lawmakers during a TV interview. While the issue seemed to have faded away from the mainstream at one point, it came back all over again when Taylor Swift endorsed Harris. She famously signed the letter as 'a childless cat lady,' indicating that Vance's comments have had a far-reaching impact.
Meanwhile, what impact will the seemingly contrasting views of Trump and RFK Jr on animal cruelty will have, only time will tell.