Poll reveals voters streaming toward Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as independent chucks a grenade into the presidential mix - amid shock at another candidates dramatic surge

Third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues drawing more attention in the 2024 election, according to a new NBC poll, as voters dread another matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. 

Kennedy receives enough support among the electorate to play a spoiler in the 2024 election. Thirteen percent chose Kennedy, significantly higher than other third party candidates like Jill Stein who got three percent support and Cornel West who got two percent.

But the poll of registered voters suggests that Kennedy's new-found popularity hurts Trump more than Biden.  

In a head-to-head matchup, Trump is two points ahead of Biden, 46 percent to 44 percent. But when Kennedy Jr. on the ballot, Biden shifts ahead of Trump by two points, Biden with 39 percent and Trump with 37 percent.   

Only 64 percent of voters say they are very interested in the 2024 election, essentially a rematch of the 2020 election.

Pollsters showed that Trump voters were more likely to choose Kennedy, when given the chance to choose from potential third-party candidates.

NBC reported that 15 percent of respondents who chose Trump in a head to head match up with Biden picked Kennedy when given the chance. Only seven percent of Biden voters shifted to Kennedy.

Kennedy also has a much better chance at wooing Republican voters, as 40 percent view Kennedy favorably while only 16 percent of Democrats view him favorably.

Biden has not even publicly acknowledged Kennedy's entry into the race, although he rallied on Thursday with members of the Kennedy family who enthusiastically endorsed Biden and warned about Trump. 

'I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father,” said RFK Jr's sister Kerry Kennedy. 

Biden is enjoying a small bump in approval in the new poll. His approval ratings are up five percent since January, as 42 percent now favor his job performance, up from 37 percent in January. His disapproval ratings are down from 60 percent to 56 percent.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged members of his family supporting Biden, but thanked them for being politically active. 

'We are divided in our opinions but united in our love for each other,' he wrote on social media. 

The Kennedy campaign celebrated an NBC News poll in February showing that 34 percent of voters could see themselves supporting Kennedy. 

In March, he embraced his role as a 'spoiler' in the 2024 campaign.  

'Their principal technique is to call me a spoiler and instill fear in Americans that voting for me will get some other terrifying candidate elected,' he said. 'Our campaign is a spoiler. I agree with that. It's a spoiler for president Biden and for President Trump.' 

The poll was conducted April 12-16 and surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationally. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.