UPDATE, with response statements: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dropped out of the presidential race, sort of, leaving his rocky Independent campaign behind and aligning the iconically Democrat name with the Republican party of Donald Trump.
“In an honest system, I believe that I would have won the election,” he said today, running counter to polls but sounding very Trumpian, with talks of “sham” primaries and a “palace coup” against Joe Biden. He castigated Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris for not yet granting media interviews, a common Republican talking point in recent weeks.
More from Deadline
Kennedy didn’t quite end his campaign, but says he’s merely suspending it and will remain on ballots in some battleground states. While at one point insisting quixotically that it’s still possible he might end up in the White House, he also said, “In my heart, I no longer believe I have a realistic path to an electoral victory. I am not terminating my campaign. I am simply suspending it.”
You can watch the video of his announcement above.
At another speech in Arizona, Trump said of Kennedy’s endorsement, “That’s big. He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”
Kennedy’s endorsement of the Republican candidate was not unexpected: Recent reports have him shopping around for a new side to play on, reaching out to both political parties and meeting with members of the Trump team. Kennedy’s campaign recently said he would make a statement on his “path forward” at today’s speech in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is holding a rally in Glendale, Arizona, later today.
However unsurprising the endorsement is, from a historical perspective, rather remarkable, putting a man with the famously Blue family name into the Red. Today, Kennedy said the Democratic Party “had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with.” He said the causes for his switch were “free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children,” the latter stemming from his debunked anti-vaccine stances.
Although Kennedy encouraged his followers to vote Trump, he said in some states they could vote for either party. The logic was, to say the least, difficult to follow. A commenter on CNN called it “coo coo for Cocoa Puffs” and, quoting Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, “authentic frontier gibberish.” The official response from the Democratic National Convention called the speech “a bizarre, rambling announcement,” with DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill adding, “The more voters learned about RFK Jr. the less they liked him. Donald Trump isn’t earning an endorsement that’s going to help build support, he’s inheriting the baggage of a failed fringe candidate. Good riddance.”
Kennedy’s campaign has been beset by more problems than family ties, hurt feelings and a dead bear cub: Just yesterday he officially withdrew from the ballot in Arizona, a not-unexpected outcome given recent news reports of dwindling campaign funds and a ruling by a judge in New York State that tossed out the signatures on his nominating petition because Kennedy had falsely claimed to be a New York resident. The court found that Kennedy actually lived in California with his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines, and that the New York address he suppled was not his full time residence.
Today Kennedy described the various state requirements for getting on the ballots as a nearly impenetrable tangle.
Kennedy earlier said he’d fight the ruling, but today’s announcement suggests that battle is all but over.
Hines, RFK’s outspoken anti-Trump wife, issued a statement today in which she acknowledged her husband’s decision to run for president, saying he did so “on the principle of unity” and added that “the vast majority of all parties are truly good people.” She did not specifically comment on her husband’s new endorsement.
The son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, the former environmental activist and scion of the staunchly liberal family of Democrats, RFK Jr. has in recent years leaned into 9/11 conspiracy theories, discredited ideas about AIDS, and anti-vaccine misinformation. His Kennedy relatives have largely distanced themselves from him, at least politically, and endorsed Joe Biden prior to Kamala Harris entering the race.
And lately Kennedy has been attracting attention for non-political reasons, including his revelation that he once suffered from the presence of a brain-eating worm and, more recently, his admission that in 2014 he placed a roadkill bear cub in Central Park, a stunt he thought would be “amusing” but instead prompted days of headlines and widespread concern over the mysterious origins and grisly demise of the animal.
And this week, video resurfaced of Kennedy telling a reporter that aligning with Trump would be “devastating” to his marriage to the anti-Trump Hines. Six months ago, when asked by TMZ about the statement, Hines said, “I think Bobby knows me very well.”
In a statement today on her social media accounts, Hines wrote, “The decision has been made to suspend my husband’s, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidency [sic] and I’d like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be impossible. They have gathered over a million signatures, more than any candidate in history, and have achieved ballot access across the country despite the roadblocks and lawsuits that have been brought against them for the sole purpose of keeping Bobby off of the ballots so no one would even have the opportunity to vote for him.
“I deeply respect the decision Bobby made to run on the principle of unity,” Hines continued. “Over the last year and a half, I have met some extraordinary people from all parties — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. It’s been my experience that the vast majority of all parties are truly good people who want the best for our country and for each other. It has been an eye-opening, transformative, and endearing journey.”
The Kennedy family was not so understanding. A statement put out 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 endorse Trump “a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”
See the full various statements below.
Never been less surprised in my life. Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it.
Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier.
— Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) August 23, 2024
|
STATEMENT: RFK Jr. “Suspends” Spoiler Campaign, “Good Riddance.” |
|
Today, in a bizarre, rambling announcement, RFK Jr. suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump for President. This should come as no surprise, his candidacy has never been anything other than a spoiler campaign for Trump. He was recruited into the race by MAGA Republicans like Steve Bannon, he was propped up by Trump’s largest donor, and he parroted MAGA attacks on Democrats. In response, DNC Senior Advisor Mary Beth Cahill issued the following statement: “The more voters learned about RFK Jr. the less they liked him. Donald Trump isn’t earning an endorsement that’s going to help build support, he’s inheriting the baggage of a failed fringe candidate. Good riddance.” |
The decision has been made to suspend my husband’s, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s, presidency and I’d like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be…
— Cheryl Hines (@CherylHines) August 23, 2024
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source Agencies
