Robert Kennedy supports Donald Trump

The Kennedys are perhaps the most important family dynasty in the Democratic Party and American politics. Yet Robert Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent candidacy for president on Friday and endorsed Republican Donald Trump. If his uncle – former President John F. Kennedy – and his father – former Sen. Robert “Bobby” Kennedy – were still alive, they would probably be deeply shocked.

Until earlier this year, Kennedy himself was a Democrat. But the 69-year-old politician explained at a press conference in Arizona that his former party had betrayed its values. The former “party of democracy” had transformed into “the party of war, censorship, corruption and big business.” The Democratic Party tried to hinder his independent candidacy with a wave of lawsuits. “Under an honest system, I would win the election.”

The war in Ukraine is an important reason

Kennedy said the war in Ukraine is one of the most important reasons why he now supports Trump. The politician explained that the Russian invasion was the result of NATO’s irresponsible eastward expansion. As before, Kennedy was essentially repeating Vladimir Putin’s unfounded propaganda.

Kennedy’s name will remain on the ballot in Democratic-dominated states. However, he will withdraw in key swing states to avoid stealing votes from Trump. According to Kennedy, the former president offered him a government job if he wins the election.

Kennedy’s decision is not surprising. Independent candidates never have a realistic chance of winning the election. A few months ago, his polling support was still around 20%, which is a historical high for independent presidential candidates in the United States. However, Kennedy’s popularity has been in the single digits recently. With President Joe Biden withdrawing from the White House race, his voter support has continued to shrink until to 4 to 5 percent.

Before Biden’s sudden withdrawal, independent candidates had a better chance in this presidential election than in decades. Most Americans were not enthusiastic about Biden or his Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Many wanted an alternative candidate. Kennedy fulfilled that wish and won over some voters in both parties. Kamala Harris topped the Democratic ticket, and these seemed to be However, frustrated Biden voters are now returning to the Democratic fold.

It became clear that if Kennedy continued to run, he would steal a few percent of the vote from Trump in particular. In contested swing states like Arizona or Michigan, this could cost Trump an electoral victory. So behind the scenes, the former president began negotiating with Kennedy about a possible collaboration.

Maybe the tip of the scale

Kennedy is a better fit for Trump’s Republicans because of his personality and positions. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the 69-year-old was a staunch vaccine skeptic and had a deep distrust of the pharmaceutical industry. Among other things, he has proposed a link between early vaccinations and autism. Kennedy has also moved closer to Trump on Ukraine. In an interview with “2023,” he said that Washington is not concerned about protecting Ukraine in the conflict, but about overthrowing Putin’s regime in Moscow. The New Yorker. Therefore, as president, he would end the war and negotiate peace.

Like Trump, Kennedy harbored a deep distrust of Washington’s elites and bureaucracy. He was convinced that the CIA was involved in the 1963 assassination of his famous uncle, John F. Kennedy. When he announced his candidacy for president, he positioned himself as a fighter against “a complacent elite rigging the system for its own benefit.” He mentioned Biden There are bigger threats to American democracy than Trump.

However, it remains to be seen whether Kennedy will really be a big help to Trump. In the struggle for moderate voters in the political center, a controversial politician is probably not the right driving force. He has made headlines recently for some bizarre stories. It was announced in May In 2010, a worm infected his brain and damaged his memory. He recently told how he found a dead bear Stored in Central Park, New York. When a former nanny accused him of sexual harassment in July, Kennedy answered evasively. “I have no comment on that.”

But Trump may be hoping to benefit from the appeal of the Kennedy name. Robert’s uncle, John F. Kennedy, and his father, Bobby Kennedy, remain among the most popular politicians in American history. At a Trump campaign event in the battleground state of Arizona on Friday, Robert Kennedy appeared on stage next to the Republican presidential candidate. Trump said he and Kennedy will now “fight together to defeat the corrupt political establishment and take back control of this country.” Trump asked Kennedy’s supporters to “join us in building this coalition.”

However, the Kennedy family has publicly distanced itself from Robert Jr. At a campaign event in April 15 family members Behind the campaign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Her father will be Trump ‘shocked’ Kerry Kennedy, Robert’s sister, said at the event that the former president was an “anti-democratic” candidate who spread dangerous conspiracy theories about climate change, vaccinations and election fraud.

Trump no longer has to worry about competition from third-party candidates. After Kennedy’s withdrawal, two independent candidates are still in the running for the White House: Green activist Jill Stein and African-American philosopher Cornel West. They may mainly mobilize Democratic protest voters on the left fringe. However, your poll numbers are currently less than one percent of the vote. However, even such a small matter could determine the outcome in November. Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton lost the election to Trump in swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The gap is 0.2 to 0.8 percentage points.