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U.S. Presidential Election: RFK Jr. Suspends Campaign, Endorses Trump
WASHINGTON: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that he is suspending his independent candidacy for the U.S. presidency and endorsing Donald Trump's campaign.
Kennedy, 70, a lifelong Democrat and a member of the Kennedy dynasty, stated that his personal principles led him to make the decision to leave the party and support Trump from the Republican party.
In a press conference in Arizona, he mentioned that he will not withdraw his name from the ballot in various states, as he believes his presence will not affect the competition.
Trump, the Republican candidate, welcomed the endorsement, calling it "very good... he's a great guy," while his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, saw it as an opportunity to "capture" Kennedy's supporters.
This decision essentially ends Kennedy's campaign, which was driven by his anti-vaccine views and marked by controversies involving a dead bear and brain worms.
His poll numbers declined from double digits as funding and national coverage decreased. He ran high-profile ads during the Super Bowl in February, linking his father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, which angered many family members.
His sister, Kerry Kennedy, described her brother's support for Trump as "a betrayal of the values most cherished by our father and our family. It is a sad end to a sad story."
Kennedy said Trump's insistence that he could end the war in Ukraine through negotiations with Russia was "enough to justify my support for his campaign."
"Many issues and approaches still have serious differences. But we are aligned on other major issues."
Kennedy stated that he would withdraw his name from the ballot in 10 states where his presence could undermine Trump's efforts and chances. He has also withdrawn from battleground states like Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Kennedy said he started his campaign "as a Democrat, the party of my father, my uncle... champions of the Constitution," but left the party because "it has become a party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, and big money."
He blamed his decision to suspend his campaign on "media control" and his former party's efforts to block his candidacy, adding, "In my heart, I no longer believe I have a realistic path to victory given the ongoing and systematic censorship."
Kennedy received about 14 to 16 percent in polls at his peak, according to the Associated Press. However, his approval ratings fell to single digits since Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.
In his press conference, Kennedy offered to work with Harris in her efforts to reach the White House. However, Democrats were uninterested in his offer.
"Donald Trump does not have the support that would help build support; he inherits the burden of a failed fringe candidate. Goodbye," said Mary Beth Cahill, a senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, in a statement.
Kennedy's campaign became synonymous with the anti-vaccine movement as he frequently promoted his leadership in the organization Children's Health Defense, formerly known as the World Mercury Project.
In recent weeks, Kennedy recounted how he once disposed of a dead bear cub in Central Park, New York, in 2014 as a joke. Early in his campaign, it was revealed that he had suffered from a brain parasite over a decade ago, causing severe memory loss and brain confusion.
His announcement ends several days of speculation that Kennedy was offering his support to Trump in exchange for a role in his next administration. Trump told CNN earlier this week that he was "certainly open" to any role Kennedy might want to play, while Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., reportedly said Kennedy would be suited to "blow up" the Federal Department.
Merrill Matthews, a resident scholar at the Conservative Institute for Policy Innovation, told the BBC that Kennedy’s decision highlights the U.S. two-party system and "how difficult it is to bring new ideas and new people into the process." - BBC
What happend to Robert F. Kennedy Jr? what happend to US?
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Ogos 25, 2024
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