Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drops out and backs Trump for president

With polling numbers falling, RFK Jr. ends his independent candidacy, endorsing Trump after months of campaigning

WASHINGTON:

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he has ended his campaign and endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump, concluding a presidential bid that began as a Democrat.

Kennedy, a member of one of America’s most famous political families, had initially launched his campaign to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.

The impact of Kennedy's endorsement on Trump's campaign remains uncertain. Political strategists are unsure whether this move will help Trump, who is currently in a close race against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for the November 5 election. According to Kennedy, after several meetings with Trump and his aides, they found common ground on issues such as border security, free speech, and ending military interventions.

“There are still many issues where we strongly disagree, but we are aligned on key topics,” Kennedy said at a press conference. He also announced his intention to withdraw from the ballot in 10 battleground states crucial to the election's outcome, though he plans to remain a candidate in other states.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and prominent anti-vaccine advocate, is the son and nephew of Robert F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, two iconic figures in Democratic politics who were both assassinated in the 1960s. He entered the race in April 2023 as a Democratic candidate, motivated by voter dissatisfaction with both the aging President Biden and the legally embattled Trump. His campaign quickly gained traction, prompting him to pivot to an independent run.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll from November 2023 indicated Kennedy was polling at 20% in a hypothetical three-way race against Biden and Trump. His campaign made headlines with a prominent advertisement aired during the February 2024 Super Bowl, in which he invoked his late father and uncle. This move drew criticism from many members of his family. His sister, Kerry Kennedy, expressed disappointment in his endorsement of Trump, calling it a betrayal of the family’s values. "It’s a sad ending to a sad story," she remarked on social media.

Initially, both the Biden and Trump campaigns were concerned that Kennedy could attract enough support to sway the election’s outcome. However, the dynamics of the race changed dramatically over the last two months. Trump survived an assassination attempt, and Biden, facing pressure from his own party, handed over his campaign to Harris.

As a result, interest in Kennedy's campaign began to wane, with his support falling to just 4%, according to a recent Ipsos poll.

Trump welcomed Kennedy’s endorsement during a campaign event in Las Vegas, expressing his gratitude. "I want to thank Bobby. That was very nice. He’s a great guy, respected by everybody," Trump said. In contrast, Democrats downplayed the endorsement. Mary Beth Cahill, a senior adviser for the Democratic National Committee, commented, "Donald Trump isn’t gaining meaningful support. He’s just taking on the baggage of a failed fringe candidate."

Political experts believe Kennedy’s endorsement is unlikely to significantly affect the election. William Rosenberg, a political science professor at Drexel University, argued that Kennedy’s low polling numbers make his endorsement less impactful. "If he had made this move three months ago, it might have had a bigger effect," Rosenberg said.

However, Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio maintained that Kennedy's supporters in key battleground states were more likely to back Trump than Harris.

According to a super PAC supporting Kennedy, he is hoping for a role in a potential Trump administration in exchange for his endorsement. Kennedy had campaigned as a political outsider and promised, if elected, to repeal parts of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. He also pledged to shut down the southern U.S. border to illegal immigration and expressed unwavering support for Israel.

Throughout the campaign, Kennedy attracted the financial backing of major Trump donors, including Timothy Mellon, an 82-year-old banking heir who contributed millions to Kennedy’s campaign and $75 million to Trump’s, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Kennedy's campaign has been marked by controversy. He recently admitted in an online video to dumping a dead bear in Central Park a decade ago, arranging the scene to suggest a bicycle collision. Additionally, his campaign confirmed that he had suffered from a brain parasite over ten years ago, although he has since fully recovered. These revelations, alongside past accusations of sexual misconduct, have generated considerable public ridicule.