Following the announcement of Donald Trump’s guilty verdict on Thursday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined the former president and other Republicans in criticizing the court’s decision.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kennedy accused the Democratic Party of trying to beat Trump in the courtroom rather than at the ballot box, calling the strategy “profoundly undemocratic” and predicting that it would backfire in November.

Kennedy’s criticism mirrored Trump’s, claiming that the verdict was “compromising our government’s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts.” He also sought to differentiate his campaign from President Joe Biden’s by highlighting his focus on challenging Trump’s record on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and increasing the national debt.

Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, and campaign director Amaryllis Fox also weighed in on the verdict. Shanahan alluded to the “weaponization of the justice system for political gain,” while Fox reiterated the claim of Biden “weaponizing the courts” and warned of the potential consequences.

Some of Kennedy’s friends, family, and former colleagues have expressed concern that his candidacy could act as a spoiler campaign and potentially hand the election to Trump. In April, one of Kennedy’s staffers admitted that their campaign could throw the election to Trump and was subsequently fired.