RFK Jr. suspends the 2024 campaign and joins Trump at the Arizona rally, endorsing former President Donald Trump. During an event in Phoenix, Arizona, Kennedy urged voters in red or blue states to support him but stated that he would remove himself from the ballot in battleground states to avoid acting as a “spoiler.”
“I want everyone to know that I am not terminating my campaign,” Kennedy said. “I am simply suspending it, not ending it.”
Shortly after, Kennedy joined Trump on stage at Trump’s rally in Glendale, Arizona. Trump announced that he would create an independent commission to investigate assassination attempts and release all remaining documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy explained his decision to enter the race, leave the Democratic Party, and ultimately endorse Trump, stating that his passion for addressing chronic illness in children drove him to support the candidate who showed the most interest in this issue.
In response, the Democratic National Committee issued a statement saying “good riddance” to Kennedy, with a senior adviser noting that “the more voters learned about RFK Jr., the less they liked him.” The DNC dismissed Trump’s endorsement as inheriting the “baggage of a failed fringe candidate.”
During his Phoenix speech, Kennedy, with tears in his eyes, expressed that his decision was based on deep prayer, logic, and a desire to save America’s children and restore national health. He said that if Trump were elected and honored his word, the chronic disease epidemic in the country would be reversed.
Some in Kennedy’s inner circle had reservations about endorsing Trump, but sources close to the discussions said Trump showed genuine concern for the issue of chronic disease.
Kennedy initially launched his White House bid in April 2023 as a Democrat challenging President Joe Biden but later left the Democratic Party to run as an independent, with Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. His controversial views on vaccines and COVID-19 had alienated him from many Democrats, including members of his own family, who publicly supported Biden.
Five of Kennedy’s siblings issued a statement on Friday endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, expressing disappointment in their brother’s decision to endorse Trump, calling it a betrayal of their family’s values. They described it as “a sad ending to a sad story.”
