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As Election Day approaches, just weeks after his appearance at the Inman Connect conference in Las Vegas, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has suspended his presidential campaign and instead Support Donald Trump.
Kennedy announced the pause at a news conference on Friday, saying he could not “in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers” to continue when there is no longer a realistic path to the White House. However, Kennedy also said, “I’m not terminating my campaign, I’m just pausing it, not ending it.” He went on to say that he is removing his name from the ballot in swing states, but his name will Remain on the ballot in solid blue states and red states.
“I encourage you to vote for me,” Kennedy told voters in non-swing states.
Kennedy also said he would “support Donald Trump.”
Kennedy recalled meeting Trump after the assassination of the former president. After “intense discussions,” Kennedy was “surprised to find that we agreed on many key issues.” Kennedy said he and Trump discussed Abraham Lincoln’s “team of rivals,” which “will allow us to disagree publicly and privately” while still working together on “issues that exist.”
It remains to be seen how this arrangement will work in practice. The former president was known to value the absolute loyalty of his aides, and Kennedy’s support was far from absolute. At one point, he recalled Trump’s “violent criticism” of the president during his time in the White House, later saying, “Me joining the Trump campaign will be a difficult sacrifice for my wife and children.”
Kennedy later said the campaign pause was the “best hope for ending the war in Ukraine” and a topic to stop the “chronic disease epidemic,” a topic he addressed at length later in the press conference. He also spent much of his time criticizing the media’s treatment of his campaign and lashing out at Democrats, including what he called a “grossly undemocratic” process for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s nominee.
“Under an honest system, I believe I would win the election,” Kennedy argued.
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Kennedy came from a family known for its alliances with the Democratic Party, but he left the party last fall. In the months that followed, he positioned himself as an alternative to Trump and Biden. However, Harris topped the Democratic ticket, changing the dynamics of the race and detracting from Kennedy’s efforts.
In the days leading up to his announcement, rumors had swirled that Kennedy planned to quit, and he had reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns about exchanging support for future positions in their administrations. Trump reportedly expressed interest in appointing Kennedy to the position. Kennedy said at a press conference that Harris had not responded to his outreach efforts.
Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy, began his career as a lawyer. He has gained national prominence in recent years after questioning, among other things, the efficacy of vaccines.
But Inman readers may be best familiar with Kennedy for his appearance at Inman Connect in Las Vegas earlier this month. Kennedy took the stage to be interviewed by Brad Inman, followed by a Q&A with Inman’s editorial staff.
During a discussion with Brad Inman, Kennedy responded to a question about his comments about the vaccine, saying, “If you want to get the vaccine, you should be able to get the vaccine, but you should understand the safety and the risks, and the efficacy of the vaccine.
Brad Inman also asked Kennedy about his housing platform, saying that homeownership is the foundation of the American middle class. Later, in an interview with an Inman reporter, Kennedy said he wanted to limit the ability of large corporations to buy large quantities of homes. He said this would free up more supply. He also discussed creating incentives for local governments to relax zoning and planning laws.
When asked why he agreed to participate in Connect, Kennedy said: “I wanted to talk to a real estate agent.”
Inman also asked Kennedy whether the federal government was more corrupt under one party or another.
“I don’t think it matters anymore,” he replied. “It used to be like that. I don’t think it matters anymore. It’s out in the open to both of them. They’re not even trying to hide it.
Inman extended Connect invitations and interview requests to the Trump and Harris campaigns, but the campaigns have yet to respond to those inquiries.
Polls show that Kennedy’s chances of running for president remain slim. Kennedy’s poll approval rating peaked at 15% last month but has since dropped to just 7%, according to the Pew Research Center.
“Much of Harris’ accomplishments came at the expense of Kennedy,” Pew reported last week.
Most recently, The Associated Press reported on Thursday that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to view Kennedy favorably, and Trump allies have been pushing for the kind of exit-plus-endorsement approach that finally materialized on Friday.
Update: This article was updated after publication and includes additional comments and additional context from Kennedy’s press conference.
Email Jim Dalrymple II
