PHOENIX — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed former President Donald Trump in a prolonged speech Friday afternoon, ending his chaotic unbiased presidential marketing campaign.
Kennedy’s campaign first confirmed the endorsement in a Pennsylvania court filing earlier than taking the stage to talk in Battlefield Arizona. Afterward Friday, Trump held his personal occasion in close by Glendale, the place Kennedy was on account of converse, within the end result of weeks of negotiations, based on three sources acquainted with the plans.
Kennedy, who turned generally known as an environmental lawyer earlier than changing into a number one anti-vaccine advocate, blasted Democrats in a speech on Friday for “giving up.”[ing] Democracy,” lambasting his “opponents” for not believing his marketing campaign might succeed and blaming the media and Democratic machinations for hampering his competitiveness. Then Kennedy made it official.
“Many months in the past, I promised the American those who I might withdraw from the race if I turned a spoiler… In my coronary heart, I not believed that I had a practical path to electoral victory,” he stated.
Kennedy solid Trump and himself as victims of Democrats’ “persevering with authorized battles,” criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not profitable “a single delegate” throughout the 2020 marketing campaign and accused her of ignoring the media and undermining her coverage platform, to attain what purpose. He additionally in contrast Biden and Harris’ management of the Democratic Get together to the Russian dictatorship underneath President Vladimir Putin.
In contrast, Kennedy made it clear that in Trump he noticed a associate — and a sufferer.
“These are the principled causes that satisfied me to depart the Democratic Get together, run as an unbiased, and now help President Trump. These causes are: free speech, the warfare in Ukraine, and the warfare on our kids,” he stated.
“One of many two candidates noticed these points as his personal and even requested for me to hitch his administration. After all, I am speaking about Donald Trump.”
Mary Beth Cahill, senior adviser to the Democratic Nationwide Committee, stated in a press release, “Donald Trump has not garnered the help that will assist construct help, and he has inherited the bags of a failed fringe candidate. Good riddance.”
Contained in the negotiation
After weeks of secret courtship, Kennedy determined to help Trump. Donald Trump Jr. has been in search of to get Kennedy to endorse his father for six months, an individual acquainted with the scenario stated, whereas one other supply famous that Trump Jr. has lengthy believed that Kennedy’s presence within the race harm the Republican marketing campaign. Exercise.
For some time, polling was unclear on the difficulty. However issues modified dramatically after Harris turned the Democratic presidential nominee, and so did the polling panorama. The Trump marketing campaign acknowledged this actuality in a memo despatched to reporters by pollster Tony Fabrizo after Kennedy’s announcement, which stated polls confirmed Kennedy main each Votes in key states “supported President Trump.”
Nonetheless, preliminary protections started earlier, a couple of week earlier than the Republican conference, when right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson linked Trump Jr. to Kennedy.
Since then, Trump Jr. and donor Omid Malik have acted as intermediaries to assist shut the deal. Two sources acquainted with the negotiations stated Kennedy is predicted to play a job in future campaigns.
Malik stated within the interview that Kennedy was not promised a Cupboard place in change for his help, though Kennedy working mate Nicole Shanahan stated as a lot when talking on a podcast earlier this week. (Shanahan didn’t attend Friday’s occasion.)
Nonetheless, Malik stated: “I feel President Trump and JD Vance said During the last 24 hours, in the event that they’re profitable, there are a variety of roles and I feel well being is certainly one of them,” and Kennedy can play a job in that.
Malik stated, “I do not see any draw back to Kennedy endorsing Trump,” including, “Issues like this have the potential to actually change every part.”
In his speech on Friday, Kennedy detailed conversations and conferences with Trump and his advisers, saying he discovered “we agree on many key points.”
He additionally hinted that he would have a say in a possible future Trump administration.
“If President Trump is elected and follows via on his guarantees, the big burden of persistent illness that’s demoralizing and bankrupting the nation at the moment will disappear,” Kennedy stated.
“President Trump advised him he needed this to be his legacy,” Kennedy continued. “I select to consider that this time he’ll observe via. His son, his largest donor and his closest pals all help that purpose.”
He acknowledged that aligning with Trump could be “a tough sacrifice for my spouse and kids, but when there’s a small likelihood of saving these youngsters, will probably be price it.”
However he confused that this alliance with Trump “will permit us to disagree publicly and privately” whereas nonetheless working collectively towards widespread targets.
Kennedy criticized companies such because the FDA, including that with “Trump’s help” they might “workers these companies with sincere scientists and medical doctors.”
As for his electoral future, Kennedy stated he’ll solely work to take away his identify from the poll in swing states as a result of he needs to offer supporters in each “purple states” and “blue states” an opportunity to vote for him with out “Harm” or assist.
He stated technically he might stay on the poll and thus be eligible to be president in 2025 if no candidate wins an Electoral Faculty majority, however that is not sensible. just isn’t attainable as this is able to lead to Demand that he win the Electoral College votes.
an extended and tough battle
Kennedy’s presidential bid has suffered setbacks on account of sturdy Democratic opposition, controversy over the candidate himself and the problem of overcoming important hurdles for independents making an attempt to solid ballots throughout the nation.
The choice comes as Kennedy’s working mates started publicly pondering this week whether or not he would finish his marketing campaign. Quit in support of former President Donald Trump. Even earlier than that, his marketing campaign Stopped hosting your own event And commenced an uncommon public diplomacy with Trump, whose opponent Kennedy had harshly criticized early within the marketing campaign.
Kennedy’s impending exit marks the tip of one of many extra quixotic presidential campaigns in latest historical past, one that originally garnered sufficient help Put the Democratic Party into panic On whether or not his candidacy might jeopardize their path to victory in 2024. Run as an independent bid.
His approval rankings fell, as usually occurs to candidates who’ve clashed with the nation’s two-party system — although this time it got here throughout a summer season crammed with campaigning.
Democrats’ resolution to alter the presidential ticket has led to a drop within the share of voters saying they help third-party candidates, Let Kennedy break away from Trump to a large extent.. Even earlier than that, Kennedy and his marketing campaign had endured a tough months-long stretch, elevating questions on his viability.
Kennedy’s ballot numbers have been declining, and neither the candidate nor his working mate have spent a lot time campaigning in latest weeks. As a substitute, the candidate is racking up destructive headlines — the allegation He groped a former family nanny (To which he responded: “I’m not a church boy“); He staged a faux bicycle accident in New York’s Central Park utilizing a useless bear discovered on the aspect of the street; Kennedy claimed Doctors found parasite in his brain Greater than a decade in the past, amongst different issues.
Unbiased presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proclaims the way forward for his marketing campaign in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on August 23, 2024.
Thomas Machovich | Reuters
He struggled to reconcile his The career of an anti-vaccination activist The help of a broad citizens must be received. Kennedy’s repeated overtures to anti-vaccine influencers and organizations which have been integral to his profession have led Democrats and different teams to sharply criticize his rhetoric and associations, labeling him a radical. On Thursday, after his marketing campaign introduced its intention to offer an replace on the standing of the race on Friday, he posted an 11-minute video on Twitter that he stated was an try and “set the file straight by explaining my actual posture level by level,” This was in all probability essentially the most controversial situation of my marketing campaign,” his stance on vaccines. Simply 24 hours later, he was withdrawing from the race.
Kennedy additionally vacillated on abortion coverage all through the marketing campaign: In August 2023, whereas nonetheless working as a Democrat, he told NBC News He stated he supported signing a nationwide abortion ban after three months of being pregnant, however his marketing campaign shortly walked again that remark. In Might, Kennedy said on a podcast that he would help full-term abortion. Stunning his running mate. A number of days later, Kennedy Also retracted those comments.
On an organizational degree, Kennedy’s camp has generally struggled underneath the load of getting to fund huge get-out-the-vote applications to get votes in sufficient states to win the presidency. By August, solely a handful of states had confirmed Kennedy on the poll, and he continued to face authorized challenges, together with Court decides to remove him from ballot In New York.
Though the voting rights plan didn’t have the specified impact, it didn’t come low cost. The Kennedy marketing campaign spent greater than $8 million on marketing campaign consulting from Accelevate 2020 LLC, which additionally does poll harvesting work.
Total, the marketing campaign has been efficient in elevating funds – as of July, $57.6 million had been raised and practically $54 million had been spent. However the fundraising included a $15 million direct donation from Kennedy’s vice presidential candidate Shanahan, who spent per week spark speculation The occasion is coming to an finish. (Final month, the marketing campaign additionally refunded greater than $900,000 to her.)
“We’re taking a look at two choices, one is to remain and kind a brand new get together, however we run the danger of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency as a result of we get votes from Trump or in some way To get extra votes from Trump, “she’s in a Podcast interview released on Monday.
“Or we go away now and be part of forces with Donald Trump. And, you understand, we go away this and clarify to our base why we made this resolution,” Shanahan continued.
“I am not a Kamala Democrat. I am not a Trump Republican,” Shanahan wrote on social media on Friday. [.] I’m an unbiased American who helps concepts, not one individual or get together. I’ll proceed to work to offer a voice to the unvoiced and convey energy again to the folks.
There have been different monetary drains on the marketing campaign, together with the tens of millions Kennedy spent on safety as he repeatedly known as on the federal authorities to offer him with Secret Service safety, which prompted the political assassinations of his well-known father and uncle.
Federal marketing campaign finance information present the Kennedy marketing campaign spent greater than $3 million on safety providers supplied by Gavin de Becker, a widely known safety marketing consultant who protects celebrities. He was also a supporter and friend of Kennedy. The marketing campaign additionally owes an extra $3 million to de Becker’s firm.
The occasion Protected by the Secret Service following an assassination try on Trump in July.
Katherine Koretski reported from Phoenix; and Ben Kamisar from Washington, D.C.
