RFK Jr. Suspends Campaign, Endorses Trump

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Facts

• In a speech on Friday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Election, announced that he's suspending his campaign and endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump.^[1]
• He said he would remove himself from the ballot in contentious battleground states, but that he would stay on the ballot in firmly 'red' and 'blue' states so his supporters in those areas can still vote for him without 'harming or helping.'^[2]
• While this isn't a formal withdrawal of his ticket, Kennedy has already made moves to exit Arizona and Pennsylvania. However, according to election officials, he has passed the cut-off date for withdrawing from Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin — three key battleground states.^[3][4]
• Kennedy was reportedly polling historically high for a third-party candidate, with estimates placing him at 10-20% at the peak of his campaign. However, scandals from his past recently emerged, bringing his numbers down significantly.^[1][5]
• This comes a day after Trump told Fox News that he would be 'honored' if Kennedy endorsed him. Trump has also told CNN that he would consider offering Kennedy a place in his administration if he wins in November.^[6]
• According to a Pew Research survey conducted from Aug. 5-11, 7% of voters said they would vote for him, down from 15% in the first week of July. Among the 15% who had supported him in July, 39% later shifted toward Harris and 20% toward Trump.^[7]

Sources: ^[1]Guardian, ^[2]NBC, ^[3]Wsj, ^[4]Associated Press, ^[5]New York Post, ^[6]CNN and ^[7]Pew Research Center.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Human Events. Unlike Joe Biden, who's portrayed as having stepped down when really he was forced out, Kennedy has sincerely sacrificed his political ambitions to serve a greater cause: kicking the Democrats out of the White House. While it's not clear how this will affect the election, many of his supporters have said they'll vote for Trump if he drops out. Kennedy and Trump disagree on many things, but they agree on enough to join hands and defeat the warmongering Democrats.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by Huffington Post. Kennedy has just added to his long list of deranged political decisions. First and foremost, he believes he has enough supporters to help Trump, which is unlikely given his plummeting pole numbers and recent negative press. To make things worse, he followed the announcement by pushing conspiracies about the food industry causing mental health issues. With Kennedy's endorsement, Trump can lose this election with even more embarrassment.

Predictions