Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Aug. 23 suspended his presidential bid and has said he supports Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Kennedy, 70, said in a livestreamed campaign announcement that he would “throw my support at President Donald Trump.”
His campaign has already begun the process of removing his name from the ballot in battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
He filed official paperwork to withdraw his name from Arizona’s 2024 election, according to the Secretary of State.
However, the independent candidate also stressed that supporters can still vote for him in most states.
“I am not terminating my campaign, I am simply suspending it,” he stated. “My name will remain on the ballot in most states. If you live in a blue state, you can vote for me without harming President Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. Same with red states.”
Supporting Trump
Kennedy said he met with Trump and “Was surprised to discover that we were aligned on many issues.”
He admitted that he was a “ferocious critic” of Trump in his first term, and added they still have differences to this day.
Kennedy said that following his first meeting with Trump, he reached out to Harris for a similar meeting but her campaign declined.
He thanked his campaign staff for their work and acknowledged their sacrifices for the love of the country.
“I will not allow your efforts to go to waste,” he pledged.
Trump on Kennedy
During an event in Las Vegas, Trump thanked Kennedy for his support.
“I want to thank Bobby, that was very nice,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”
The Republican presidential nominee said he was never opposed to Kennedy running. He said Kennedy had experienced major challenges in his campaign, most recently his disqualification from the New York ballot. Trump also said his low poll numbers have prevented him from participating in presidential debates.
The big announcement follows widespread speculation about the future of Kennedy’s campaign. During a podcast earlier this week, his running mate Nicole Shanahan suggested they were exploring their options.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at, and one is staying in, forming [a new political party], but we run the risk of a Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump,” she told podcast host Tom Bilyeu. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we explain to our base why we are making this decision.”
Ahead of their campaign’s announcement on Aug. 23, Shanahan reiterated her stance as an independent
“I’m not a Kamala Democrat. I’m not a Trump Republican. I’m an INDEPENDENT American who is endorsing ideas, not a person or a party. I will continue working to give a voice to the voiceless and bring power back to the people,” she wrote in a post on X.
“I started this journey as a democrat,” Kennedy said, adding that democracy is now only a slogan for the party.
According to his official campaign website, Kennedy was a lifelong Democrat but became “increasingly estranged” from the party in the 2010s when he claimed it shifted away from its traditional values. In October 2023, he announced his presidential candidacy as an independent.
Known by his initials, Kennedy is part of one of the most high-profile families in politics. He is the son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
“My father and my uncle were members of a Democratic Party that was at the forefront of making sure that every American could vote for the candidate they wanted to. Today’s Democratic Party is doing the opposite,” Kennedy said in a recent video statement on X.
Trump is holding a campaign rally in Glendale on Aug. 23, less than 10 miles from Phoenix, where Kennedy made his announcement. Trump announced that a “special guest” would join him on stage, fueling speculation that Kennedy would make an appearance following his endorsement.