Kennedy Jr. Drops Out to Back Trump, Sparks New Election Drama

Independent candidate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced on the 23rd that he is suspending his campaign to endorse Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump. Analysts suggest this move may inject new uncertainties into the election.

Kennedy, speaking at a press conference in the pivotal swing state of Arizona, said, "I no longer believe I have a realistic path to winning the election." According to AFP, Kennedy criticized the Democratic Party for nominating Vice President Kamala Harris without a primary and listed numerous grievances against the Democratic Party, stating that these factors led him to support Trump.

Kennedy noted that his internal polling results indicated his participation would harm Trump's chances and benefit Harris. The Associated Press reported that Kennedy's name will not appear on the ballot in swing states, but he stated his supporters could still vote for him in other states, though this is unlikely to impact the election result.

Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, recently indicated that if Trump were elected President, Kennedy might join the Cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of the Kennedy family, is the 70-year-old son of the late former Attorney General and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of the assassinated President John F. Kennedy. His father was also assassinated during his 1968 presidential campaign.

Kennedy, coming from a prominent Democratic family, has seen his support within the Democratic Party dwindle in recent years, finding more favor among Republican voters. In October last year, he announced his candidacy as an independent after exiting the Democratic presidential race.

Various states in the U.S. have barriers for third-party candidates, like requiring tens of thousands of signatures to qualify. According to AFP, Kennedy's name won't appear on the ballot in half of the U.S. states.

The move has been met with significant opposition from the Kennedy family. "Our brother's decision to support Trump is a betrayal of our father's and our family's cherished values," said Kennedy's five siblings in a joint statement endorsing Harris.

At a campaign event in Glendale, California, Trump praised Kennedy, saying they would "fight together." Trump also announced plans to establish an independent commission to investigate assassination attempts on presidents if elected. "Their mission is to release all remaining documents related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination," Trump stated.

Analysts are divided on the impact of Kennedy's withdrawal on the presidential race and how many of his supporters will shift their allegiance to Trump or Harris. Professor William Rosenberg of Drexel University noted that given Kennedy's low polling support, the move is unlikely to affect the election outcome.

Vice President Harris currently maintains a narrow lead over Trump in national polls by approximately 1.5 percentage points on average. In the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, she holds a slight advantage. Nonetheless, Trump's pollster Tony Fabrizio stated that in swing states, Kennedy's supporters are more likely to back Trump than Harris. "This is good news for Trump and his campaign team," he remarked.