RFK Jr suspends campaign to 'throw support' behind Trump

Robert F Kennedy Jr has decided to put a halt on his own bid for the US presidency and throw his support behind Donald Trump's campaign.

Mr. Kennedy, a 70-year-old member of the Democratic Party for many years and part of the famous Kennedy family, announced that the beliefs that led him to switch political parties now guided him to endorse President Trump.

He confirmed during a media event in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday that he does not plan to withdraw from the race, but will attempt to take his name off the voting list in 10 crucial states.

Trump, the nominee for the Republican party, commented that he appreciated the endorsement, stating that the person was "very nice" and a "great guy". On the other hand, Kamala Harris, the Democratic competitor, mentioned that she hopes to gain the support of Kennedy supporters.

As we approach the election in November, Mr. Kennedy's popularity in the polls has decreased significantly from its peak of double digits due to a lack of funds and limited national visibility.

He is the son of US Senator Robert F Kennedy and the nephew of President John F Kennedy, making him part of the well-known family in Democratic politics.

His choice to support a Republican candidate for President has angered his family members, who had already criticized him for including the family name in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this year.

Kerry Kennedy, his sibling, expressed disappointment in his backing of Trump, seeing it as a violation of the principles that their father and family treasure. She described it as a regrettable conclusion to a troubling narrative.

Mr. Kennedy expressed on Friday that this decision is causing him a lot of emotional pain because of how it is impacting his wife, children, and friends.

I am certain that this is my calling. This certainty brings me inner peace, even during difficult times.

He is the husband of Cheryl Hines, who is known for her role in the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. She shared on X, previously known as Twitter, that she fully supported her husband's choice to pause his campaign. She chose not to discuss his endorsement of Trump.

Mr. Kennedy told the press on Friday that Trump's belief he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine by engaging in talks with Russia "would be enough to earn my backing for his candidacy".

We still have many disagreements on important topics, but we agree on other important matters.

He stated that he would take his name off the ballot in 10 states where he could potentially harm Trump's chances of winning. He has already pulled out of the key states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

However, election officials informed the AP news agency that it is already too late for him to withdraw from the swing states of Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

Mr. Kennedy stated that he started his campaign in April 2023 as a Democrat, highlighting that the party represents the values of his family members who have been strong supporters of the Constitution.

However, he decided to move on because he felt that the party had become associated with war, censorship, corruption, pharmaceutical companies, technology giants, and wealthy individuals.

He said he stopped running for president because he thought the media was controlling the narrative and his political party was trying to stop him. He also said that he didn't think he could win because the media was constantly censoring him.

Mr. Kennedy enjoyed strong support from 14% to 16% in polls when he was at the height of his popularity. However, his ratings have dropped to only a few percentage points since Ms. Harris became the Democratic nominee.

During the press conference, he mentioned that he had proposed collaborating with Ms. Harris on her campaign for the presidency.

Democrats seemed unbothered by his declaration.

Mary Beth Cahill, a senior adviser for the Democratic National Committee, stated that Donald Trump is not receiving support that will boost his popularity. Instead, he is being associated with the negative reputation of a failed candidate on the outskirts of mainstream politics. Cahill expressed relief at this outcome.

Mr. Kennedy's name became closely associated with the anti-vaccine movement because he often mentioned his role as the leader of the Children's Health Defense organization, which used to be called the World Mercury Project.

Lately, Mr. Kennedy shared a story about how he jokingly disposed of a dead bear cub that had been struck by a vehicle in Central Park, New York back in 2014.

In the beginning of his campaign, it came out that he was affected by a brain parasite more than ten years ago, leading to significant memory issues and confusion.

His statement confirmed the speculation that Mr. Kennedy had proposed supporting Trump in exchange for a position in his upcoming administration.

Trump stated in a recent interview with CNN that he would be willing to consider Mr. Kennedy for a position in his administration. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, suggested that Mr. Kennedy would be a good fit for shaking things up in a government department.

Merrill Matthews, a scholar living at the conservative Institute for Policy Innovation, shared with the BBC that Mr Kennedy's choice brought attention to the US's two-party system and the challenges of introducing innovative ideas and new individuals into the political process.

Mike Wendling also helped write this report.