(LibertySociety.com) – Third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week suspended his campaign and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump in a move that could give the former president a slight boost in support in battleground states like Pennsylvania.
Following his announcement, Kennedy appeared with Trump at a rally in Phoenix where he noted that internal polling showed that his presence in the 2024 race was hurting Trump.
Kennedy told the crowd that he and Trump had issues that “bind us together,” including ending chronic disease and “having safe food.”
The former independent candidate cited the war in Ukraine and his support for free speech as the reasons he had his name removed from the ballots in key battleground states. He said the same issues that prompted him to leave the Democrat party and run as an independent motivated him to endorse Donald Trump for president.
Kennedy threw his support behind Trump after weeks of back-channel discussions.
In his announcement last Friday, Kennedy blasted the Democrat Party for abandoning democracy, particularly by refusing to hold an open primary and forcing out Joe Biden to replace him on the ticket with Kamala Harris.
He also accused the corporate news media of colluding with the Democrats to hurt his independent campaign.
Kennedy noted that he told his supporters that he would withdraw from the presidential race if he became a “spoiler,” and said that he no longer believed that he had a “realistic path” to the White House.
Members of the Kennedy family blasted RFK Jr. for endorsing the Republican nominee.
In a statement posted on X, Kennedy’s sister Kerry condemned her brother for endorsing Trump, describing it as a “betrayal” of their father’s values.
Recent polls showed RFK Jr.’s support hovering in the single digits. However, an Associated Press/NORC poll in July showed that Republicans were much more likely to have a favorable view of RFK Jr. than Democrat voters.
DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill dismissed Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump, saying it would not help the former president increase his support.
Copyright 2024, LibertySociety.com
