Recently-suspended presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared his reasons for endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump on Fox News over the weekend. He also reasserted that there have been “no commitments” to place him in a future Trump administration.
Speaking to Fox News Sunday’s Shannon Bream, Kennedy discussed his ongoing collaboration with Trump and explained how he came to support the former president. Kennedy said the two spoke hours after the assassination attempt on Trump, where they engaged in policy discussions and found common ground on several key issues. Kennedy specifically cited ending the Ukraine War, addressing censorship, and improving children’s health as his main reasons for backing Trump. He also mentioned that Trump invited him to participate in a “Unity Government” focused on these issues, although they would still be free to criticize each other on other matters.
Despite their agreement to work together, Kennedy clarified that there were no specific commitments regarding cabinet positions or endorsements during talks. “There [have] been no commitments, but I met with President Trump, with his family, and with his close advisors, and we just made a general commitment that we were going to work together,” Kennedy explained.
Kennedy then discussed his decision to remove his name from ten key battleground state ballots where he believed his presence might have helped Democratic VP Kamala Harris’s campaign, noting that “folks knew which states they were.” However, he did not name any states in the interview. He also explained that he would stay on the ballot in “thirty states” and encouraged supporters to vote for him in those areas where the Trump or Harris campaigns were likely to win.
Kennedy additionally clarified that he reached out to the Harris campaign on the same day he contacted the Trump campaign, but only as part of his efforts to address polarization and hatred in modern politics and to gauge their positions on the issues most important to his campaign. He added that he spoke with other candidates as well, specifically mentioning Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver.
The interview also touched on personal and political challenges Kennedy has faced since his Friday announcement, noting that his decision sparked backlash within the Kennedy family, many of whom support the current administration. Kennedy reaffirmed his love for his family and stated that his decision to support Trump was not driven by revenge against the Democratic Party but by a desire to address systemic issues in public health and agriculture. He also mentioned that he would be actively campaigning for the Trump campaign in the coming weeks.
Editorial note: The introduction to this article has been edited to more accurately reflect that Kennedy suspended his campaign rather than ending it.
So RFK didn’t have enough to offer to get a quid prop quo commitment. Got it.
“Addressing censorship” would not, I assume, extend to the comments by His Royal Highness, Donald J Trump, seeking to repeal libel laws so that he could sue his critics into silence. By my quick search, Trump has thus far sued: Bob Woodward, George Stephanopoulos, Bill Maher, Timothy O’Brien, The Washington Post, The New York Times, ABC, CNN, the Chicago Tribune, and the Pulitzer Prize Board. There are probably more. He has certainly threatened more. I think he has lost every case.
Nor would “improving children’s health” extend to the children of certain classes of immigrants. Or probably anyone who needs a vaccine.
“Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”
Former? He’s still running for president as an independent, so he is a “current independent presidential candidate”.
“although they would still be free to criticize each other on other matters.”
Keep repeating that, if for no other reason than to remind Trump. Not that it will likely achieve much.
“there were no specific commitments regarding cabinet positions or endorsements during talks”
That’s a strange contrast to his statement that Trump “has asked to enlist me in his administration”.
On the upside, this makes it even more abundantly clear that there was never any quid pro quo.
On the downside, this also means Kennedy is completely f***ed, because he doesn’t even have any specific commitment for what their cooperation will look like. Trump is holding most of the cards, and will be holding all of them after the election, Kennedy has no leverage to bargain.
“He added that he spoke with other candidates as well”
Interesting. I wonder if he spoke with Terry.
“Kennedy reaffirmed his love for his family”
Knowing his election fraud committing mafia family, saying that is certainly no endorsement for RFK Jr. How many dead people ended up voting for JFK and RFK Sr again?
“He also mentioned that he would be actively campaigning for the Trump campaign in the coming weeks.”
I know he said he was suspending his own campaign, but since he also is still running in most states and wants people to vote for him there, I wish he would just keep campaigning for himself in those states. Actively campaigning for Trump is such an embarrassing look.
As i have said before, voter suppression takes place before the ballots are even printed. The Democrats’ push to keep Kennedy off the ballot is clearly a case of voter suppression.
The Democrats need to reflect on how their ballot obstructionism drove Kennedy into Trump’s embrace. They might have been smarter to just let Kennedy on the ballot wherever he wanted.