As the impending November presidential election escalates political tension, leading candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump contend to gain public support. Former Democratic Party member Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the third-most popular candidate, suspended his independent campaign on Aug. 23 to endorse Donald Trump. The late-stage endorsement by Kennedy preceded a dropout speech, explaining the major challenges facing the country and how he and Trump propose to tackle them.
Kennedy has been an advocate for left-wing policies since his introduction to politics and was aligned with the Democratic party until 2023. Kennedy’s disapproval for his party’s increasingly progressive ideals led him to launch his own independent campaign in April of 2023.
The campaign faced major setbacks such as securing Kennedy’s name on state ballots and receiving mainstream media representation. The Harris campaign further diminished Kennedy’s popularity as it garnered support from major Democratic demographics. In response to his declining poll numbers, Kennedy reached out to Republican nominee Donald Trump in search of common ground.
On Aug. 23, a day after the Democratic National Convention, Kennedy threw his support at Trump and suspended his campaign. The strategical endorsement date was engineered to take media attention off of the Democratic convention and back onto Trump’s campaign, which held a rally that same night.
“I don’t think Trump’s endorsement will have an effect on most voters. The majority of Democrats and independents dislike his policies and don’t want another four years of his administration, regardless of Democratic endorsements,” sophomore Gabrielle Solomon said.
Kennedy’s endorsement of Donald Trump created a bipartisan ticket more probable to appeal to undecided Democrat voters. The unity ticket combined the conservative ideals of small government with anti-corporate policies of traditional liberalism. Lastly, during Kennedy’s endorsement speech, he detailed the three pivotal challenges facing the country and how he and Trump plan to address them when elected.
“I don’t affiliate myself with any political party and as of now, I am undecided between Kamala and Trump. The upcoming debate will help solidify my opinion as well as comparison between the two candidates’ policies. I think R.F.K Jr.’s endorsement moves center voters like myself more to the right and opens up the possibility of voting Trump,” Mr. Miller said.
Kennedy claimed that censorship used on social media platforms, in addition to corruption of the mainstream media, contributed to a controlled press. He argued that an ineffective fourth state, characterized by a lack of skeptical questioning of political power and government imposed censorship, contrasts with the principles of democracy.
Secondly, Kennedy condemned the Russia-Ukraine War and claimed it could have been avoided had the U.S. removed nuclear weapons encircling Russia and stopped the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from encroaching too far East. He argued that the war was fueled by the greed of the military-industrial complex, the main profiteers of war, and politicians funded by them. Additionally, he criticized the war’s almost $200 billion cost for the U.S., arguing that it reflects the government’s spending priorities; funding proxy wars over addressing domestic needs.
“I agree with Kennedy, I think the government should be more focused on helping the working class and spending money on our own country’s problems. I understand that we need to aid our allies, but war helps no one. I believe in voting for the candidate who represents the average person, not some big corporation,” sophomore Jan Dave Calimlim said.
Lastly, Kennedy commented on the health epidemic affecting the U.S. He compared current statistics of childhood obesity, diabetes and mental illness in the U.S. to those 50-years earlier; the results, a significantly more unhealthy U.S. population. Kennedy blamed ultra-processed foods, industrial manufactured foods with high levels of grains, sugar and seed oils, which make up 70% of American children’s diet. Ultra-processed foods lack essential nutrients and consist of ingredients banned in most countries, not to mention they have a strong correlation to over 32 health conditions.
Trump has promised Kennedy a cabinet position so that he can further the issues they agree on. The Trump campaign in conjunction with Kennedy aims to clean corporate influence from government, reduce censorship, fix the border crisis, end the Russia-Ukraine War and address the U.S. health epidemic.
“I’ve always supported Trump, but I am happy to see that he is working with somebody from the other side of the political spectrum. I think this endorsement could win some people over. Not all political representatives are perfect, but Biden’s administration made everything more expensive, I want to see Trump in office,” sophomore Vincenzo Lopez-Muro said.
Kennedy has sought to withdraw his candidacy from the ballot in key battleground states to avoid impacting Trump’s chances of winning. The strategic move minimizes his influence on the election in critical areas.
