Experts weighed in on what one described as a liberal “freak out” following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement of who he picked as his running mate, as Democrats have been amping up their attacks on the now-Independent whose family name was once synonymous with the party.

After RFK Jr. announced he had chosen lawyer and tech entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan to be his VP choice, he’s been subjected to increased attacks from Democrats following a “freak out” within the party, with experts telling Fox News his choice is the party’s “worst nightmare.”

“Only in the new Socialist Democratic Party — they should change their name to reflect who they really are now — would the son of Robert F Kennedy and nephew of Democrat icon JFK be forced from the party that has used their name for decades, all because he had the gall to point out the obvious, Joe Biden is not prepared to lead this country for four more years,” Republican strategist and The Vogel Group principal Matt Keelen told Fox News.

He added: “Anyone with eyes knows that as a fact.”

Kennedy, hailing from one of the most renowned and cherished Democrat families in American history, has become one of the primary targets of criticism from the left since declaring his candidacy for president. Just under two weeks ago, Kennedy revealed that Shanahan would be his running mate, prompting a call hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which many interpreted as a sign that the party was in a state of alarm, Fox added.

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“We are doing everything in our power to get President Biden and Vice President Harris re-elected. It’s critical that we take seriously every possible obstacle to that goal. And let me be clear: that’s exactly what Robert F. Kennedy is in this election. He’s a spoiler,” Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said on the call, the outlet reported.

Following that development, NBC News reported that Democrats are internally feeling “freaked out” over Kennedy’s candidacy, especially as he continues to gain momentum and qualify to appear on more state ballots.

On St. Patrick’s Day, several members of the Kennedy family shared a photo with President Biden at the White House, a move that some interpreted as a subtle jab at Kennedy Jr. Additionally, various Democratic strategists have been active on social media in recent weeks, criticizing the independent candidate and trying to link him to former President Donald Trump, Fox reported.

Democratic strategist Lis Smith, who played a key role in leading Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 campaign and is currently consulting for the DNC on the project, ignited a flurry of social media posts and reposts following Kennedy’s Tuesday speech. She referred to the candidate as a “spoiler” and shared a video in which she accused Shanahan of securing her place on the ticket by donating millions to support Kennedy before being named his running mate.

Fox added:

Recent polls have shown Kennedy, Stein and independent candidate Dr. Cornel West would pull significant support from both Biden and Trump, but with Biden appearing to be at risk of losing the most potential votes.

Keelen pointed to the Biden administration’s denial to providing RFK Jr. with Secret Service protection as another example of how far out of favor Kennedy has fallen with the Democratic Party. 

“RFK jr was run out of the party by the DNC that rigged yet another primary election – see 2016 – for Hillary, 2020 for Joe, 2024 for Joe again,” Keelen said. “President Biden and his team have also acted shamefully in not granting Secret Service protection to Kennedy despite growing threats and the fact that both of his relatives were gun downed by madmen. Absolutely unbelievable.”

According to experts who spoke to Fox News Digital, the effort to prevent Kennedy from participating in the Democratic primary and appearing on the ballot as a third-party candidate contradicts their professed aim of safeguarding democracy.

“So much for the party that says it is defending democracy,” Marc Lotter, former special assistant to the president and former director of strategic communications for Trump’s 2020 campaign, told the outlet. “What Democrats are doing to RFK is no different than what they are doing through the courts and radical election officials to target Donald Trump.”

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