Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is using former President Trump’s guilty verdict in a New York hush-money trial to court voters on the fence about the former president’s conviction.

Kennedy, who’s running as an independent, railed against the decision last week, calling it “profoundly undemocratic” and suggesting the trial was a political ploy by Democrats to damage their No. 1 Republican rival.

His comments come as he looks for avenues to expand his support with many of the same voters that Trump is targeting — as well as independents disenchanted by the top choices.

“This conviction is going to backfire on the Democrats,” Kennedy said in an appearance on Fox News after the jury’s decision became public. “I think every time that President Trump has been indicted, that his approval ratings actually increase, his popularity increases.”

Echoing views held by many on the right, Kennedy argues that Democrats’ embrace of investigations into Trump makes them look politically motivated and entrenched in a corrupt system. He argues that it exposes government agencies as highly partisan.

Despite the optics, Trump’s legal troubles do not prevent him from winning the White House for the second time. After being found guilty of falsifying business records by the Manhattan district attorney, it’s unclear how he will be impacted in November. The Trump campaign announced that it raised $141 million alongside the Republican National Committee in May — a huge sum for any election cycle, but particularly for a nominee........

© The Hill