Why am I watching videos of RFK Jr. doing push-ups in jeans?

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     June 28, 2023 Perhaps you've seen it. An unfortunate video buzzing around the internet of a grown shirtless man performing push-ups in order to prepare for an event that is not going to happen. If you haven't, that man is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the nonexistent event is a debate with President Joe Biden. ([Incumbent presidents tend to skip primary debates](, and the Democratic National Committee has already endorsed Biden.) Nevertheless, RFK Jr. has supplied voters with workout clips paired with diatribes against vaccines that [seem to insist that Americans are out of shape]( and need his leadership. Yes, I wish I could tell you that we can all ignore this buffoon. After all, this is an individual who exercises in jeans. But as my colleague Kiera Butler explains in a great feature today, RFK Jr. has [already gained far more support]( than anyone expected, and Kennedy's strange candidacy could spell problems for Biden down the road. So who exactly wants any of this? Kiera takes a look at the [very rich men cheering Kennedy on](, including the guy who invented the computer mouse, as well as the dude who created LimeWire. [I urge you to read Kiera's piece here](, where she uncovers a curious thread between some of these Kennedy fans. Because while it's fun to mock the guy who sort of completes 10 push-ups in jeans, it isn't so easy to shake off the small dread that comes with knowing that this circus has the power to cause some serious—and very annoying—trouble for people who prefer not to have Donald Trump in the White House again. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Donation Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Meet the Rich Guys Who Want RFK Jr. to Be President]( Including Steve Kirsch, inventor of the computer mouse turned anti-vaccine crusader. BY KIERA BUTLER [We need your help right now] There's no sugarcoating it: We face a real budget crunch and need to raise $390,000 in online donations by June 30 to finish our fiscal year break-even. We've already cut everything we can, and there is zero wiggle room to come up short. So we're hoping that [donations from our regular newsletter readers](, from you reading this blurb right now, will come in much stronger than normal to help us get there. Please pitch in if you can right now. [Donate]( [Trending] [Tightly packed poultry and pig farms could be incubating the next deadly flu]( BY TOM PHILPOTT   [Shein thrived despite constant abuse allegations. Then came a disastrous influencer event.]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   [Yes, Nikki Haley's attack on Obama is silly. It's also very telling.]( BY GARRISON HAYES   [Rising seas are likely to sow havoc much sooner than predicted]( BY J BESL Advertisement [House Sustainer Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Death by debt]( Jessica Madison was a pioneer of the student loan cancellation movement. The relief that could've saved her is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. BY HANNAH LEVINTOVA Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755