Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Friday he is suspending his presidential campaign but not dropping out of the race completely. Kennedy said he won't appear on ballots in states where his candidacy would benefit the Democratic ticket.
"In about 10 battleground states, I'm going to remove my name, and I've already started that process," Kennedy said.
While he endorsed former President Donald Trump, he encouraged his supporters to still vote for him in states where his name is still on the ballot.
The move was slightly telegraphed. Scripps News confirmed on Thursday night that Kennedy filed paperwork with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office to have his name withdrawn from the ballot. Also, a court filing in Pennsylvania on Friday said Kennedy would endorse Trump. Both are battleground states.
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Kennedy placed much of the blame on the Democratic National Party for his decision to leave the race. He essentially accused the party of corruption for how they ran the primary process, and the fallout after President Joe Biden decided to remove himself from the race.
In response to Kennedy's decision to remove himself from ballots in battleground
states, the campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris said it welcomed Kennedy's supporters to join their movement.
“Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all," said Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
The Kennedy campaign started in 2023 as an alternative to the Biden-Harris campaign. Having one of the most recognizable last names in politics, the son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy launched his bid for president as a Democrat. However, he announced in October that he would run as an independent.
At the time, he said the decision was meant as a declaration of his independence from all political parties while declaring America's independence from "the tyranny of corruption which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future, and our respect for each other."
As a vaccine skeptic and environmental lawyer, Kennedy initially appeared to have a strong following with those who didn't want Trump or President Biden back in the White House. However, Kennedy has struggled to get his name on ballots and has seen his poll numbers drop since Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket.
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According to an average of polls from the website 538, Kennedy is averaging 4.7% in national polls, behind Harris who is at 47.2% and Trump who is at 43.5%.
Kennedy's family, who previously endorsed President Biden, released a statement after RFK Jr. made his announcement.
“Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story," the statement signed by Kathleen, Courtney, Kerry, Chris and Rory Kennedy said.
For his part, Trump welcomed Kennedy's endorsement.
"I want to thank Bobby. That was very nice," he said on Friday. "That was really very nice. That's big."
