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With election day looming, and simply weeks after he made an look at Inman Join Las Vegas, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is suspending his long-shot bid for the presidency and can help Donald Trump.
Kennedy introduced the suspension throughout a press convention Friday, saying that he couldn’t “in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers” to proceed when there isn’t any longer a practical path to the White Home. Nonetheless, in a twist, Kennedy additionally stated “I am not terminating my campaign, I am simply suspending it, not ending it.” He went on to say that he’s within the strategy of eradicating his title from ballots in swing states, however that his title will stay on ballots in solidly blue and crimson states.
“I encourage you to vote for me,” Kennedy stated to voters in non-swing states.
Kennedy additionally stated that he’ll “throw my support behind Donald Trump.”
Kennedy recalled assembly with Trump after the assassination try in opposition to the previous president. Following “intense discussions,” Kennedy was “surprised to discover we are aligned on many key issues.” Kennedy stated he and Trump mentioned Abraham Lincoln’s “team of rivals,” which “would allow us to disagree publicly and privately” whereas nonetheless working collectively on “existential issues.”
How that association would possibly work out in follow stays to be seen; the previous president notoriously values absolute loyalty amongst his aides, and Kennedy’s endorsement was removed from absolute. At one level he recalled being a “ferocious critic” of the president throughout Trump’s time within the White Home, and later stated that “my joining the Trump campaign will be a difficult sacrifice for my wife and children.”
Kennedy later stated that suspending his marketing campaign is “the best hope for ending the Ukraine war,” in addition to stopping the “chronic disease epidemic,” a subject on which he spoke at size in the course of the latter a part of his press convention. He additionally spent important time criticizing the media for its therapy of his marketing campaign, and slamming Democrats for, amongst different issues, what he described because the “profoundly undemocratic” course of by way of which Vice President Kamala Harris grew to become the get together’s nominee.
“In an honest system, I believe I would’ve won the election,” Kennedy argued.
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Kennedy hails from a household that’s famously aligned with the Democrats, however he left the get together final fall. He spent the following months positioning himself as an alternative choice to each Trump and Biden. Nonetheless, Harris transferring to the highest of the Democratic ticket modified the dynamic of the competitors and sapped important consideration from Kennedy’s efforts.
Within the days main as much as his announcement, rumors ran wild that Kennedy was planning on exiting — and that he had reached out to each the Trump and Harris campaigns about exchanging an endorsement for a future job of their administrations. Trump reportedly indicated an curiosity in appointing Kennedy to a place. Throughout his press convention, Kennedy stated Harris didn’t reply to his outreach efforts.
Kennedy, the son of late U.S. senator and presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy, spent his profession working as a lawyer. He rose to nationwide prominence in recent times after questioning the efficacy of vaccines, amongst different issues.
However Kennedy could also be most acquainted to Inman readers for showing earlier this month at Inman Join Las Vegas. Kennedy took the stage for an interview with Brad Inman, then later met with Inman editorial staffers for a query and reply session.
Throughout his dialogue with Brad Inman, Kennedy responded to a query about his feedback on vaccines by saying “if you want to get a vaccine you ought to be able to get a vaccine, but you ought to know the safety profile and the risk profile and the efficacy of that vaccine.”
Brad Inman additionally requested Kennedy about his housing platform, to which Kennedy argued that homeownership is the muse of the American center class. Later, whereas chatting with Inman journalists, Kennedy stated he wished to restrict the power of main companies to purchase massive numbers of properties. That, he stated, would unlock extra provide. In the meantime, he additionally mentioned creating incentives that will push native governments to loosen their zoning and planning legal guidelines.
Requested why he agreed to seem at Join, Kennedy stated “I wanted to talk to Realtors.”
Inman additionally requested Kennedy if the federal authorities is extra corrupt below one get together or the opposite.
“I don’t think anymore it matters,” he responded. “It used to. I don’t think it matters anymore. It’s overt with both of them. They don’t even try to hide it.”
Inman prolonged Join invites to each the Trump and Harris campaigns and has despatched interview requests, however the campaigns haven’t responded to these inquiries.
Polling instructed Kennedy’s bid for the presidency was at all times an extended shot. In response to the Pew Analysis Middle, Kennedy’s polling numbers peaked at 15 p.c final month, however have since fallen to simply 7 p.c.
“Most of Harris’ gains have come at the expense of Kennedy,” Pew reported final week.
Extra just lately, the Related Press reported Thursday that Republicans usually tend to have a optimistic view of Kennedy than Democrats and that Trump’s allies have pushed for precisely the sort of dropout-plus-endorsement that lastly got here Friday.
Replace: This story was up to date after publication with extra commentary from Kennedy’s press convention, and with extra background.
