Third-party presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr announced on Friday that he was suspending his campaign for the White House and throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump. Kennedy, who had been facing dwindling poll numbers, expressed defiance towards his critics and claimed that his campaign had inspired a significant independent political movement. Despite believing he could have won in an honest system, Kennedy acknowledged the slim chances of his candidacy and decided to suspend it to avoid drawing votes away from Trump in battleground states.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer and member of the famous Kennedy political family, had initially launched his campaign as a Democrat before switching to an independent third-party ticket due to criticism and concerns about being a spoiler candidate. His campaign failed to gain significant traction, with his voter support dropping to 5 percent in recent polls.
Rumors of a potential alliance with Trump grew louder as Kennedy’s poll numbers declined, with his son briefly posting a video of a phone call between Kennedy and Trump. Ultimately, Kennedy decided to suspend his campaign and remove his name from the ballot in certain states to avoid impacting the election outcome.
In his speech announcing the suspension of his campaign, Kennedy criticized the Democratic Party and mainstream media for censorship and expressed support for Trump’s policies on issues like ending wars and securing the border. Despite his decision to support Trump, Kennedy faced backlash from his family members, who released a statement denouncing his endorsement of the former president.