In breaking news, campaign official Rita Palma, based in New York for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been linked to promoting false claims about the 2020 election and attending rallies that preceded the deadly riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Palma, who identified herself as the Kennedy campaign’s state director in New York, has expressed support for Donald Trump and attended “Stop the Steal” events in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Palma’s social media posts, which have since been made private, included tweets calling Trump her “favorite president” and expressing her desire for him to run for a third term in 2028. She also dismissed claims that Trump was responsible for the violence at the Capitol, attributing it instead to a “rigged election.”
Despite not being directly involved in the violence on January 6, Palma was in Washington, DC for Trump’s rally that day and later downplayed the events as the actions of a few troublemakers. Her repeated use of the hashtag #BidenCheated in her tweets from November 2020 to February 2021 indicates her belief in election fraud.
Palma’s support for Trump and attendance at “Stop the Steal” events align with a segment of Trump supporters who see Kennedy as a means to help Trump regain the White House in 2024. Kennedy’s super PAC has received significant donations from Trump supporter Timothy Mellon, and polls suggest Kennedy could siphon votes away from Biden.
The Kennedy campaign has distanced itself from Palma, stating she was hired as a ballot-access consultant and does not shape electoral strategy. Palma, however, continues to defend her actions as exercising her First Amendment rights. Her social media posts show a consistent pattern of support for Trump and his allies, including pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who has promoted baseless conspiracy theories about the election.
Overall, Palma’s involvement in pro-Trump events and her vocal support for the former president raise questions about her role within the Kennedy campaign and her influence on the candidate’s electoral strategy.
