Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday announced he will suspend his presidential campaign and endorse former President Donald Trump, following reports indicating Kennedy is interested in a role in the Trump administration, marking an about-face after years of ambivalence—and occasional outright hostility—between Kennedy and Trump.
The independent candidate is scheduled to speak amid rumors he’ll end his presidential bid and ... [+]
Despite recent public statements of support for one another, Trump and Kennedy, Jr., the two have expressed bitterness for one another in the past: In text messages obtained by The New Yorker earlier this month, Kennedy called Trump a “terrible human being” and said the former president was “probably a sociopath” while attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.
After Trump called Kennedy a “Radical Left Lunatic” whose votes would be a “WASTED PROTEST VOTE” in April, Kennedy referred to Trump’s comments as “unhinged” and a “barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims” while calling Trump “frightened” to debate him.
Kennedy also said in April Trump “promised to drain the swamp” before he “filled his administration with swamp creatures” and “promised to protect our rights and then torpedoed the Constitution,” in addition to claiming Trump “ran up the biggest debt” in U.S. history during his presidency.
In May 2023, Kennedy said “UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES” would he join Trump on a presidential ticket, as their positions on issues and philosophies “could not be further apart.”
In 2018, Kennedy denounced Trump’s decision to not investigate a link between vaccines in children and autism, reportedly saying those who placed “tremendous faith” in Trump were “feeling enormous betrayal and disappointment.”
That same year, Kennedy wrote in NBC News condemning Trump’s presidential policies, suggesting they did not “actively encourage democracy abroad” and instead reached “some of the most tyrannical governments in the world,” adding the practice was “a discredit to democracy.”
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Despite a back-and-forth between Kennedy and Trump, the pair have also shared compliments of each other. While on “The Roseanne Barr Podcast” earlier this month, Kennedy credited Trump for entering North Korea in 2019 to argue for nuclear disarmament and said he “has really good instincts.” Kennedy criticized Trump’s conviction for falsifying business records in May as “profoundly undemocratic.” Last June, Kennedy said Trump was a “common-sense guy,” adding he was “proud that president Trump likes me” after Trump said he and Kennedy had a “very nice relationship.”
Kennedy, who spoke Friday in Phoenix, endorsed Trump after suspending his campaign. The independent said he would remove his name from the ballot in “about 10 battleground states” while urging voters in those states “not to vote for me.”
Trump’s campaign said an unnamed “special guest” is scheduled to appear at a Glendale, Arizona, rally at 6 p.m. EDT, though Trump previously said there were no plans for Kennedy to appear with him.
Speculation about Kennedy ending his presidential campaign has increased in recent days. Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said Kennedy was considering ending his bid amid a decline in polls and a struggle to fundraise, after the pair reportedly ended July with $3.9 million in cash and $3.5 million in debt. ABC News and NBC News reported earlier this week Kennedy would end his campaign and endorse Trump, though unnamed sources told both outlets his decision was not finalized. Shanahan said the campaign would “join forces” with Trump and suggested Kennedy—an anti-vaccine advocate who founded Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization—had an interest in being named secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. During the pandemic, Kennedy criticized Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for his recommendations on Covid restrictions. Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, indicated the former president was “working hard” for Kennedy’s endorsement, though discussions were “completely separate” from talks about Kennedy potentially joining Trump’s administration. Kennedy announced last April he would seek the Democratic nomination and later decided to run as an independent in October. Since President Joe Biden dropped out in July, Kennedy’s position in the race has negatively affected Trump’s campaign more than Vice President Kamala Harris, who took over the Democratic nomination from Biden.