Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday that he is dropping out of the presidential race, the day after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention.
In a long speech that began significantly after its announced start time, Kennedy spoke about his own longtime connection with the Democratic Party and that of his famed father, as well as his uncle, President John F. Kennedy. But he was quick to explain that he felt the party had changed, which was why he chose to become an independent last October.
“It had become the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, big ag, and big money,” Kennedy said, before moving into more directly conspiratorial language and repeating a conservative talking point about President Joe Biden’s cognitive health. “When it abandoned democracy by canceling the primary to conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting president, I left the party to run as an independent.”
Kennedy went on to complain about the difficulties in getting onto the ballot in various states, criticizing the signature-gathering process. He also noted that Kamala Harris had declined to meet or speak with him but praised Trump for taking up some of his issues, stating that Trump had asked to enlist Kennedy in his administration.
His wife, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress Cheryl Hines, issued her own statement on social media as Kennedy dropped out. She has previously opposed Trump but gave thanks to Kennedy’s supporters and praised members of all parties who she’s met during his campaign.
“I deeply respect the decision Bobby made to run on the principle of unity,” Hines wrote. “Over the last year and a half, I have met some extraordinary people from all parties — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. It’s been my experience that the vast majority of all parties are truly good people who want the best for our country and for each other. It has been an eye-opening, transformative, and endearing journey.”
Following Kennedy’s announcement, five of his siblings issued a statement of their own voicing support for the Democratic ticket and their strong opposition to his endorsement, which read, “We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride. We believe in Harris and Walz.”
“Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear,” the statement continued. “It is a sad ending to a sad story.”
The extended Kennedy family has previously been outspoken about their opposition to RFK Jr. and the beliefs he’s espoused, citing his choice to run against then-candidate Joe Biden as dangerous. Kennedy initially sought the Democratic nomination before choosing to run as an independent.
Trump was quick to tout Kennedy’s endorsement Friday, texting and emailing supporters with the news.
While Kennedy is dropping out, his name will remain on the ballot in most states. However, Kennedy noted that he would remove his name in 10 battleground states in order to help Trump. He also continued to encourage voters in solidly blue and red states to vote for him.
“If you live in a blue state, you can vote for me without harming or helping President Trump or Vice President in Harris. In red states, the same will apply,” Kennedy explained. “I encourage you to vote for me.” He went on to claim he believes he could still end up in the White House if neither of the major parties gets to 270 electoral votes.
President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, put out his own response to RFK Jr.’s endorsement of the Republican presidential candidate.
“Never been less surprised in my life,” Schlossberg wrote on X. “Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier.”
He has mocked cousin RFK Jr. for months. In an earlier series of videos posted to social media, Schlossberg previously called him a “prick.” He added at the time that Kennedy’s candidacy is “an embarassment” to the family name. Schlossberg is currently the political correspondent for Vogue.
RFK Jr. has previously debated whether or not to endorse former President Donald Trump. However, Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said on an “Impact Theory” podcast episode Tuesday that the campaign was considering joining forces with Trump to push out Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Shanahan said that this agreement was based on the possibility that Kennedy would have a role in Trump’s administration should he win.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at,” she said. “One is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency, because we draw votes from Trump or we draw somehow more votes from Trump. Or, we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump. We walk away from that and we explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”
You can watch Kennedy’s full speech dropping out and endorsing Trump here:
Trump said in a CNN interview Tuesday that he did not know Kennedy was intending to drop out of the race, but he added that he would consider giving Kennedy a role in a potential second Trump administration if Kennedy endorsed him.
The nephew of JFK announced Wednesday that he would speak the day after the DNC concluded “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” fueling growing speculation that he would drop out and support Republican nominee Trump. At one time, this may have seemed impossible, as RFK Jr. is a member of the Kennedy democratic dynasty and was himself a lifelong Democrat.
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