RFK Jr. suspends presidential campaign, endorses Trump

US Independent presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he is suspending his bid for the presidency and and endorsed Republican Donald Trump.

“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path of electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control. So I cannot, in good conscience, ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours, or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House,” Kennedy stated at a news conference in Phoenix.

Kennedy then said he will now “throw my support to President Trump.”

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As per Reuters, his campaign suggested that Kennedy was concerned that remaining in the race might drain support from former President Trump, who is facing a close battle with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 election. Kennedy mentioned that he had met with Trump and his aides multiple times and found common ground on topics such as border security, free speech, and ending wars.

“In those meetings, he suggested that we join forces as a unity party. We discussed Abraham Lincoln’s team of rivals concept. This arrangement would enable us to publicly and privately disagree on issues where we differ, while working together on the existential issues where we are in agreement,” Kennedy said.

“There are still many issues and approaches on which we continue to have very serious differences. But we are aligned on other key issues,” Kennedy said.

He commended Trump’s call to end Russia’s war with Ukraine, which Kennedy attributed to the US and NATO alliance.

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Kennedy identified the war as one of three “great causes” that motivated him to run and ultimately support Trump. The other causes include free speech and what he termed “the war on our children,” referring to his vocal opposition to vaccines and associated conspiracy theories.

In his address, Kennedy Jr. also reflected on his political journey, noting that he started as a Democrat, a party he admired for its commitment to civil rights and opposition to authoritarianism, censorship, and unjust wars. However, he left the party in October due to its shift towards what he described as war, censorship, corruption, and undue influence from Big Pharma and big tech.

Kennedy then praised his campaign team for their remarkable efforts, emphasising their achievements despite the challenges and criticised the Democratic Party’s internal practices, including censorship and media control, and announced that while he is suspending his campaign, his name will remain on the ballot in most states. He urged voters in battleground states to avoid voting for him, as he now supports Donald Trump

Also read | Why Robert F Kennedy Jr’s US elections candidacy has both Trump and Harris sweating

This comes after, Kennedy Jr. said in a court filing, that he will endorse Republican Donald Trump for president, according to a report by the Associated Press.

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The statement was made in a Pennsylvania court filing, where Kennedy also requested his removal from the state’s ballot. Additionally, Arizona officials announced on Thursday that Kennedy had submitted paperwork to withdraw from the presidential ballot in that state as well.

Kennedy, whose uncle John F. Kennedy and father Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated, announced his candidacy against Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in April 2023.