Robert F Kennedy believes Donald Trump a better fit than Kamala Harris in the US presidential race, as he officially drops campaign. The 70-year-old declared his bid for the presidency as an independent candidate last year, facing off against Trump, a Republican, and the Democratic candidate. Like other candidates, the politician has had his up and down moments, attracting his fair share of non-partisan supporters.
After an impressive race for months, Robert F Kennedy decided to forfeit his presidential campaign and make a wild move against his former party — by endorsing Donald Trump. The former Democrat announced it during a press conference in Arizona on Friday. In his speech, Kennedy explained that the principles that previously spurred his decamping also compelled him to “throw” his support to the Republican candidate. He shared,
“I’ve made the heart-wrenching decision to suspend my campaign and to support President Trump. This decision is agonizing for me because of the difficulties it causes me, my children, and my friends.”
The former Democrat cited the party’s questionable handling of the primary election and media censorship as contributing factors to his choice and decision to back Donald Trump for president. Robert F Kennedy noted that without such manipulative moves to drive the narrative and public sentiments, his contenders in the presidential bid stood no chance against him. He reflected,
“In an honest system, I believe I would have won the election. I no longer believe that I have a realistic past of electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control.”
Despite dropping his campaign efforts and establishing support for Donald Trump, Robert F Kennedy insisted he was not dropping out of the presidential race. Rather, he wants his name removed from the ballot in swing states to avoid becoming a “spoiler” during the November elections. Meanwhile, for states in the “red” or “blue” zones, Kennedy would remain on the ballot, as the outcome in these regions would neither harm nor help Trump and Kamala Harris. He urged supporters in these states to vote for him freely.
What Trump, Others Have Said About Robert F Kennedy’s Endorsement
Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have reacted to Robert F Kennedy’s decision to suspend his campaign. Expectedly, Donald Trump considered the endorsement from his former opponent to be “very nice,” and he also described Kennedy as “a great guy.” However, Kamala seemingly has the opposite opinion of him and vowed to win herself the support of the 70-year-old’s would-have-been voters.
Robert F Kennedy’s sister Kerry Kennedy has also reacted to her brother’s latest bombshell announcement. She described the Trump endorsement as a betrayal of their core family values, per BBC. She divulged,
“[It] is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”
Robert F Kennedy, a longtime member of the Democratic Party, first made his bid for presidency last April as a party member. However, he switched his efforts to become an independent candidate in October, in a move not favored by most family members. He further drew ire from the Kennedy political dynasty with his high-profile Super Bowl advertisement in February, which invoked his uncle and past president John F Kennedy, and his late dad, Robert F Kennedy, just for political gains.
