Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Drops Out of Presidential Race, Endorses Donald Trump.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and has thrown his support behind Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The 70-year-old independent candidate, who is also the son of the late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, made the announcement on Friday, August 23. Alongside his running mate, Silicon Valley lawyer Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy revealed that they were ending their long-shot campaign for the White House and backing the Republican ticket over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

During a planned speech in Phoenix, Arizona, Kennedy stated, “In an honest system, I believe that I would’ve won the election.” He indicated that he will remain on ballots in non-battleground states for those who still wish to vote for him but plans to withdraw from states where he could act as a “spoiler” candidate.

Over the past month, rumors have circulated that Kennedy and Trump were working out a deal regarding Kennedy’s withdrawal. This week, Trump hinted that a “special guest” would join him on stage at his rally in the Phoenix area on Friday evening.

Speaking from a restaurant before Kennedy’s speech concluded, Trump acknowledged the endorsement, saying, “I want to thank Bobby. That was very nice.”

Originally a Democratic presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched his White House campaign in April 2023. With a background in environmental law, he was primarily known for his controversies, including promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and engaging in antisemitic rhetoric.

In October 2023, after his Democratic primary campaign failed to gain traction, Kennedy broke from the party and announced his independent run for the presidency.

Kennedy’s switch to a third-party candidacy raised concerns about siphoning votes from both Donald Trump and then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who has since also dropped out of the race. However, more recent polls indicated that Kennedy’s continued presence in the race was more likely to hurt Republicans than Democrats.

Throughout the election cycle, members of Kennedy’s famous family distanced themselves from his political ambitions, including his sister Kerry Kennedy, who issued a statement at the launch of his campaign. Kerry, the president of RFK Human Rights, clarified that she did not “share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, and the role of social media platforms in policing false information.”

When Kennedy announced his withdrawal, his siblings released a statement condemning his endorsement of Trump as a “betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear.”

“We envision an America filled with hope, united by a shared vision of a brighter future—one defined by individual freedom, economic opportunity, and national pride,” the statement read. “We believe in Harris and Walz.”

Kennedy’s decision to support Trump follows reports that the two engaged in discussions about a potential partnership in mid-July, shortly after the assassination attempt on the former president.

In a recorded phone call between Trump and Kennedy—shared by Kennedy’s son, Bobby Kennedy III, on X (formerly Twitter) on July 16—Trump expressed his skepticism about vaccines and hinted that he had something “big” in mind for Kennedy. Trump concluded the conversation with, “We’re gonna win,” to which Kennedy responded, “Yeah.”

After the video was leaked, Kennedy publicly apologized to Trump, explaining on X that he “was taping with an in-house videographer” when Trump called him. He added, “I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.”

The two also met in person in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention. At that time, Kennedy denied rumors that he was planning to exit the race, emphasizing that their “main topic” of discussion was national unity. He expressed his hope to meet with Democratic leaders about the same issue.

However, on Tuesday, August 20, Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, revealed in an interview that they were considering ending their campaign to support Trump.

“There are two options we’re considering,” Shanahan, a former Democrat, said on the Impact Theory podcast. “One is staying in, forming that new party, but we risk a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency because we might draw votes away from Trump. Or, we walk away now and join forces with Donald Trump. We walk away from that and explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”