Robert F. Kennedy Jnr suspends US presidential campaign, endorses Donald Trump
- In exchange for supporting the Republican candidate, Kennedy is hoping for a job in a potential Trump administration
Independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jnr said on Friday he would suspend his campaign, and endorsed Republican Donald Trump, likely ending a presidential bid that he began as a Democrat trading on one of the most famous names in American politics.
Hours later, Kennedy joined Trump onstage at an Arizona rally, where the crowd burst into “Bobby!” cheers.
His campaign indicated that he feared staying in the race would siphon support from former US president Trump, who is locked in a tight contest with Democratic US Vice-President Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 election.
An environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist and son and nephew of two titans of Democratic politics who were assassinated during the turbulent 1960s, Kennedy entered the race in April 2023 as a challenger to US President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.
With voters at the time turned off by both the ageing Biden and the legally embattled Trump, interest in Kennedy soared.
He shifted his plans and decided to run as an independent, and a November 2023 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Kennedy drawing the support of 20 per cent of Americans in a three-way race with Biden and Trump.
