Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suspending his presidential candidacy, he announced during a Friday, August 23, speech. While speaking to a crowd in Arizona, the independent candidate blasted the Democratic Party and the mainstream media while also expressing his support for Republican Party candidate Donald Trump.
During his address, Kennedy, 70, pointed out that he discovered that he and Trump, 78, are “aligned with each other” on multiple opinions, such as “securing the border, protecting freedom of speech” and preventing Democrats from allegedly interfering with campaigns.
Elsewhere in his speech, RFK claimed that the Democratic Party “had become the part of war, censorship, corruption, big Pharma, big tech” among other accusations. Furthermore, he slammed the media and accused outlets of “censorship” in America.
The former Democrat left the party in 2023 and embarked on his presidential campaign as an independent.
“We inspired a massive independent political movement,” Kennedy said about his presidential campaign, adding, “More than 100,000 volunteers sprang into action. I hope they can reverse our nation’s decline.”
The politician went on to claim that the Democratic Party “set itself to dismantling [democracy],” and accused Democrats of breaking voting rules and alleging they’ve perpetuated “censorship” in the U.S. Additionally, Kennedy accused President Joe Biden of “mocking” Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he says he does not excuse from the invasion on Ukraine, and claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris refused to meet with him.
“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory,” Kennedy explained. “I cannot in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House.”
However, Kennedy clarified that he was not “terminating” his campaign, but rather suspending it, noting that he is “going to remove [his] name” in “about 10 battleground states.” He added that he has “already started the process” of doing so and that voters in those states could vote for him “without harming or helping President Trump or Vice President Harris.”
