Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he is suspending his independent bid for president of the United States and will support Donald Trump’s campaign.
Kennedy, 70, has been a Democrat most of his life and is a scion of the Kennedy dynasty.
He insisted at a news conference in Arizona that he would not drop out and would keep his name in states where it would not affect the race.
Republican candidate Trump said the endorsement was “very nice… he’s a good guy,” while Democratic rival Kamala Harris said she would “win over” Kennedy voters.
His poll numbers have slipped from double-digit highs as funding and national coverage dried up.
He drew the ire of his family when he ran a high-profile ad during the Super Bowl in February that referenced his father, U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, President John F. Kennedy.
His sister Kerry Kennedy said his support for Trump was “a betrayal of the values our father and our family held most dear. It’s a sad end to a sad story.”
Kennedy said Trump’s insistence that he could end the war in Ukraine through negotiations with Russia “justifies my support of his campaign.”
“We still have very serious differences on many issues and approaches. But we are united on other key issues.”
He said he would remove his name from 10 states because his presence would “disrupt” Trump’s efforts. He has withdrawn troops from the battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Kennedy said he launched the campaign “as Democrats, my father’s party, my uncle’s party … a defender of the Constitution” but he left because “it has become a country full of wars, censorship, corruption, Big Pharma , Big Pharma, the party of Big Pharma”. Technology, big money”.
He blamed his decision to suspend his campaign on “media control” and his former party’s efforts to thwart his candidacy, adding: “In my heart, I no longer believe that in the face of ruthless and systematic censorship, I have a A realistic path to victory.”
ReutersMr. Kennedy is hovering around 14% to 16% in his most popular polls, according to the Associated Press. However, since Ms. Harris became the Democratic nominee, his approval ratings have fallen to single digits.
He told a news conference that he had offered to work with Ms. Harris and participate in her White House bid.
Democrats were dismissive of his statement. Mary Beth Cahill, senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement, “Donald Trump has not garnered the support that would help build support, and he has inherited the baggage of a failed fringe candidate. Get rid of it.”
Mr. Kennedy’s campaign became synonymous with the anti-vaccination movement as he often touted his leadership of the Children’s Health Initiative, formerly known as the World Mercury Project.
In recent weeks, Mr. Kennedy jokingly told the story of how he dumped a dead bear cub in New York’s Central Park in 2014.
Early in his campaign, it was revealed that he had suffered from a brain parasite more than a decade ago, causing severe memory loss and brain fog.
His announcement ends days of rumors that Mr. Kennedy was willing to back Mr. Trump to secure a spot in the next administration.
Trump told CNN earlier this week that he was “definitely open to a role for Mr. Kennedy,” while Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., said he would be suited to “blow up” a federal department.
Meryl Matthews, a resident scholar at the conservative Institute for Policy Innovation, told the BBC that Mr Kennedy’s decision highlighted America’s two-party system and “how difficult it is to get new ideas and new people involved in the process”.
Mike Wendling also contributed to this report.
