Election 2024 live updates: Trump to rally out West; Harris marks first full day as official Democratic nominee
NBCAug 18
RFK Jr. Suspends Campaign, Endorses Trump
Image copyright:Â Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
In a speech on Friday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Election, announced that he's suspending his campaign and endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump.
He said he would remove himself from the ballot in contentious battleground states, but that he would stay on the ballot in firmly "red" and "blue" states so his supporters in those areas can still vote for him without "harming or helping."
The Spin
Republican narrative
Unlike Joe Biden, who's portrayed as having stepped down when really he was forced out, Kennedy has sincerely sacrificed his political ambitions to serve a greater cause: kicking the Democrats out of the White House. While it's not clear how this will affect the election, many of his supporters have said they'll vote for Trump if he drops out. Kennedy and Trump disagree on many things, but they agree on enough to join hands and defeat the warmongering Democrats.
Democratic narrative
Kennedy has just added to his long list of deranged political decisions. First and foremost, he believes he has enough supporters to help Trump, which is unlikely given his plummeting pole numbers and recent negative press. To make things worse, he followed the announcement by pushing conspiracies about the food industry causing mental health issues. With Kennedy's endorsement, Trump can lose this election with even more embarrassment.