UPDATE, with answer instructions: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has, in a sense, dropped out of the presidential race, leaving behind his rocky campaign as an independent and associating the legendary Democratic name with Donald Trump’s Republican Party.
“In an honest system, I believe I would have won the election,” he said today. Although he contradicted the polls, he sounded very Trumpian, speaking of “sham primaries” and a “palace coup” against Joe Biden. He criticized Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris for not giving interviews to the media so far, which has been a frequent topic of conversation among Republicans in recent weeks.
Kennedy has not quite ended his campaign, but says he is merely suspending it and will remain on the ballot in some swing states. While at one point he naively insisted that it was still possible he could end up in the White House, he also said, “In my heart of hearts, I no longer believe I have a realistic chance of winning the election. I am not ending my campaign. I am merely suspending it.”
You can watch the video of his announcement above.
In another speech in Arizona, Trump said of Kennedy’s support: “This is great. He’s a great guy that everyone respects.”
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Kennedy’s endorsement of the Republican candidate was not unexpected: recent reports indicate he is looking for a new team, reaching out to both parties and meeting with members of the Trump team. Kennedy’s campaign team recently said he would make a statement about his “path forward” during his speech today in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is holding a rally later today in Glendale, Arizona.
While this endorsement may be unsurprising, it is notable from a historical perspective, as it moves a man with the Democrats’ famous name into the fold. Today, Kennedy said the Democratic Party has “moved so dramatically away from the core values I grew up with.” He said the reasons for his switch were “free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children,” the latter stemming from his debunked anti-vaccine stance.
Although Kennedy encouraged his supporters to vote for Trump, he said in some states they could vote for any party. The logic was hard to follow, to say the least. One commentator on CNN called it “Coo Coo for Cocoa Puffs,” quoting Mel Brooks’ The wild wild saddle“authentic fringe babble.” The Democratic National Convention’s official response called the speech “a bizarre, confused announcement,” and DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill added, “The more voters learned about RFK Jr., the less they liked him. Donald Trump is not earning endorsements that will help him build support, but rather inheriting the burden of a failed fringe candidate. Goodbye.”
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Kennedy’s campaign is plagued by more problems than family ties, hurt feelings and a dead bear cub: Just yesterday he officially withdrew his candidacy in Arizona, a not unexpected result given recent news of dwindling campaign funds and the decision of a New York state judge invalidating the signatures on his nomination petition because Kennedy had falsely claimed to be a resident of New York. The court found that Kennedy actually lived in California with his wife. Curb your enthusiasm Actress Cheryl Hines and that the New York address he provided was not his permanent residence.
Today, Kennedy described the different requirements of the states for inclusion on the ballot as an almost impenetrable tangle.
Kennedy had previously stated that he would appeal the ruling, but today’s announcement suggests that the fight is all but over.
Hines, RFK’s outspoken Trump opponent, issued a statement today acknowledging her husband’s decision to run for president. She said he did so “out of a principle of unity,” adding that “the vast majority of all parties are really good people.” She did not comment specifically on her husband’s new endorsement.
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RFK Jr., son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, a former environmental activist and scion of a staunchly liberal Democratic family, has in recent years turned to 9/11 conspiracy theories, discredited ideas about AIDS and spread anti-vaccine misinformation. His Kennedy relatives have largely distanced themselves from him, at least politically, and supported Joe Biden before Kamala Harris entered the race.
And lately, Kennedy has attracted attention for non-political reasons, too, including his revelation that he once suffered from a brain-eating worm and, most recently, his admission that he abandoned a roadkill bear cub in Central Park in 2014. He had called the stunt “amusing,” but it made headlines for days and sparked widespread concern about the animal’s mysterious origins and gruesome demise.
And this week, a video resurfaced in which Kennedy told a reporter that an alliance with Trump would be “devastating” for his marriage to the anti-Trump Hines. When asked about that statement by TMZ six months ago, Hines said, “I think Bobby knows me very well.”
In a statement on her social media accounts today, Hines wrote: “The decision has been made to suspend the presidency of my husband, Robert Kennedy Jr., and I want to express my sincere, heartfelt gratitude to all of the individuals who worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They accomplished feats thought impossible. They collected over a million signatures, more than any other candidate in history, and fought for ballot access across the country despite the obstacles and lawsuits brought against them with the sole goal of keeping Bobby off the ballot so no one would even have the opportunity to vote for him.”
“I deeply respect Bobby’s decision to run on the basis of unity,” Hines continued. “Over the last year and a half, I have met extraordinary people from all parties – Democrats, Republicans and Independents. My experience is that the vast majority of all parties are genuinely good people who want the best for our country and for each other. It has been an eye-opening, transformative and loving journey.”
The Kennedy family was less understanding. In a statement issued by RFK Jr.’s siblings Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy, the family called RFK Jr.’s decision to support Trump “a betrayal of the values that are most important to our father and our family. It is a sad end to a sad story.”
The full individual statements can be found below.
| STATEMENT: RFK Jr. suspends spoiler campaign, “Have a nice trip.” |
| Today, in a bizarre, confused announcement, RFK Jr. suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump for president. This should come as no surprise, as his candidacy was never anything other than a spoiler campaign for Trump. He was recruited to the campaign by MAGA Republicans like Steve Bannon, he was endorsed by Trump’s biggest donor, and he has parroted MAGA attacks on Democrats.
In response, DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill issued the following statement: “The more voters learned about RFK Jr., the less they liked him. Donald Trump is not earning the endorsement that would help him build support, but rather inheriting the burden of a failed fringe candidate. Goodbye never again.” |
