Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rallied supporters together in Arizona on Friday just hours after the independent presidential candidate announced he was suspending his campaign and backing Trump.
Trump introduced Kennedy to the stage at a campaign event at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, calling him “low key” but “brilliant” and a “respectable” person.
“For the past 16 months, Bobby has ran an extraordinary campaign for president of the United States,” the former president told supporters. “I know because he came after me a couple of times. I didn’t like it.”
Trump said Kennedy is going to have a “huge influence” on his campaign, adding that he would have easily beaten Biden “had he been allowed to enter the Democrat primary.”
Kennedy told the rally that he would work with Trump on core issues such as ending forever wars and protecting free speech.
“Don’t you want a president who is going to get us out of wars and rebuild the middle class in this country?” he asked.
Trump pledged to work with Kennedy to research decades-long chronic illness and childhood disease. The Republican nominee also said he would establish an independent commission on assassination attempts and would demand the release of all documents from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
“Our movement isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans,” Trump said. “It’s about patriotism and common sense.”
During the campaign event, hosted by TurningPoint Action, featured speakers praised Kennedy’s decision to suspend his campaign and join forces with Trump.
“A Kennedy has endorsed a Republican for the presidency of the United States!” Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point Action, told supporters.
Kirk reiterated Kennedy’s stance that the Democratic Party was not the same as it used to be and called it a “new movement.”
Suspend But Not Terminate Campaign
In a live-streamed media event announcing the path of his campaign, Kennedy said he would suspend but not terminate his campaign. While he will remain on the ballot in most states, he will withdraw his name from the ballot in 10 battleground states.
Kennedy said the internal polls showed that his presence in the race would hurt Trump and help Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. He also said that he met with Trump and realized they share the same views on core issues such as ending forever wars and securing the southern border.
The Harris campaign released a statement responding to Kennedy’s decision, which appealed to his supporters.
“For any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward, ours is a campaign for you,” campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said. “In order to deliver for working people and those who feel left behind, we need a leader who will fight for you, not just for themselves, and bring us together, not tear us apart. Vice President Harris wants to earn your support.”
Harris on Thursday formally accepted her party’s nomination during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.
In her keynote speech, she invited voters to “chart a new path forward” in the 2024 election. Harris has referred to herself and her running mate Tim Walz as the “underdogs” in the race. Former First Lady Michelle Obama in her remarks at the DNC delivered words of caution amid the optimism of Harris’ campaign.
“No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle,” Obama said.