Robert F Kennedy Jr., the former independent presidential candidate turned Donald Trump supporter, mocked Vice President Kamala Harris for discussing her middle-class background.
"All you have to know is seven words, and you never have to admit to doing anything wrong again,” Kennedy said at a pro-Trump rally in Walker, Michigan. “And you know what those seven words are? ‘I was born in the middle class.'"
He then led the audience in a call-and-response. "The next time your boss asks you why you were late for work, what are you gonna say?" he asked the crowd.
"I was born in the middle class," they replied.
"And the next time your wife asks you why you didn’t take out the garbage, what are you gonna say?" he asked.
"I was born in the middle class," they replied.
But it’s yet another example of how out of touch the right is. As wealth inequality skyrockets, the middle class is hollowed out, and more Americans report living paycheck to paycheck, the GOP’s main concern is lining the pockets of the wealthy. Trump has frequently proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and his economic plan seeks to implement cost-raising tariffs and cut corporate taxes.
That’s a stark contrast to Harris’ economic plan. It seeks to cut taxes for low- and middle-income families, including a $6,000 tax cut for families in the first year of a child’s life. It also proposes reducing prescription drug costs, lowering health care costs by expanding the Affordable Care Act, and helping Americans purchase a home, with up to $25,000 of down-payment assistance for first-time buyers.
The darkest, most surreal aspect of RFK Jr.’s call-and response was how his audience played along, despite the fact that many there would likely heavily benefit from Harris’ plan.
RFK Jr. got into politics because of his name and his wealth. The same could be said for Trump. These two may have gotten where they are through generational wealth, but others, like Harris, had to work their way to the top.
And some things need to be experienced to be truly understood. Being priced out of a home, or struggling to make rent, or being worried about how much to budget for food that month, or forgoing labs or prescription drugs because they’re too expensive, or having to go into credit card debt to pay bills—these are all daily hardships that many, many Americans face. And to have a president with the lived experience of coming from the middle class is an asset, not a hindrance. And it’s certainly not something a rich guy should shrug off with a joke.
“Most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward,” former first lady Michelle Obama said at the Democratic National Convention in August. “We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance.”
So, no, Harris saying she grew up middle class is not a cop-out. RFK Jr. is just out of touch.
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