Robert F Kennedy Jr Endorses Trump After Suspending His Presidential Campaign, May Benefit Republican Candidate In Key Swing States

In a significant political development ahead of US Presidential election, Independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Junior appeared alongside former President Donald Trump during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday (23 August).

This came shortly after Kennedy declared the suspension of his presidential campaign and threw his support behind Trump.

The event took place at the Desert Diamond Arena, where Kennedy stood with Trump as the latter addressed the enthusiastic audience.

Standing next to RFK Jr., Trump told the crowd, “We are both in this to do what’s right for the country.”

He also pledged that a Trump administration would establish an independent commission to look into assassination attempts and would release all remaining documents related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, RFK Jr.'s uncle, who was assassinated in 1963.

Trump lauded Kennedy, calling him “a phenomenal person, a phenomenal man who loves the people of this country.”

Kennedy, reflecting on his recent meetings with Trump, noted that their conversations centred on shared values rather than differences.

“We talked not about the things that separate us because we don’t agree on everything, but on the values and the issues that bind us together," Kennedy remarked.

He pointed out that food safety and the battle against chronic disease epidemic were some of the prominent topics in their discussions.

Kennedy urged the audience, asking, “Don’t you want a president who's going to protect America’s freedoms and stand against totalitarianism? Don’t you want a safe environment for your children? Don’t you want to be sure that the food you’re feeding them is free from chemicals that cause cancer and chronic diseases? And don’t you want a president who will make America healthy again?”

Trump recognised Kennedy’s impact in the presidential race, admitting that while Kennedy “did well in the polls,” the challenges posed by the two-party system made his run difficult.

Trump then reached out to Kennedy’s supporters, inviting them to help form a coalition dedicated to “liberty and safety, prosperity and peace.”

Earlier on Friday, RFK Jr. officially endorsed Trump, announcing that he would refrain from running in red and blue states, allowing voters there to support him, while withdrawing his name from ballots in battleground states.

Kennedy exiting the race could potentially tilt the balance in favour of Trump in the key swing states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, where there is a close contest between the former US President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Kennedy outlined three primary reasons for his presidential race and subsequent endorsement of Trump: free speech, the war in Ukraine, and what he described as the “war on our children.”

Kennedy also accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) with waging a "continued legal war" against both him and Trump.

He slammed the DNC for orchestrating what he described as a “sham primary,” which, according to him, stifled any serious challenge to President Biden before he secured the Democratic nomination and later endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

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