Conservative and liberal social media users alike reacted strongly to independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to suspend his campaign activities on Friday and endorse former President Trump.
“I have made the heartbreaking decision to discontinue my campaign and endorse President Trump. This decision is an agonizing one for me because it will create hardships for me, my children and my friends,” Kennedy said Friday afternoon.
Speaking at a news conference in Phoenix, Arizona, Kennedy accused Democrats of waging an “ongoing legal war against both President Trump and me,” running a “sham” Democratic primary and preventing him from having a fair chance at the White House.
“I believe that in a fair system, I would have won the election,” he said. “In the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and control of the media, I no longer believe there is a realistic history of winning an election.”
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign during a press conference in Phoenix, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Conservatives on social media praised Kennedy’s move.
Business owner and podcast host Patrick Bett David said he believes Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump will have a major impact on the election.
“RFK Jr. has formally endorsed Trump and removed his name from the ballot in 10 battleground states. This will have a bigger impact on the race than J.D. Vance’s nomination as vice presidential candidate. J.D. Vance has garnered support from conservatives, while RFK will attract independents. The timing of the announcement is groundbreaking.”
Donald Trump Jr. yelled, “RFK Jr. supports Trump!!! Let’s unite!!!!”
Conservative influencer duo The Hodge Twins praised the independent candidate, saying, “We may disagree on some things, but at least RFK Jr. is an honorable man who puts country first in order to defeat communists.”
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist Party, supported Trump and Kennedy’s message of finding ways to hold government corruption accountable.
“RFK Jr. is 100% right,” he wrote. “Our government is immoral. It is corrupt. It is authoritarian and tyrannical. It hates its people. It hates the rule of law. If our country is to survive, we must overthrow and destroy the regime running it.”
“RFK Jr. has destroyed the modern Democratic Party!!!” podcaster Graham Allen said, quoting Kennedy, who said the Democrats “have become the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech and big money.”
“What RFK said is so brilliant – so honest, so respectable and so undeniable. This is powerful,” wrote former NCAA swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines.
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands next to vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
But liberals were infuriated by Kennedy’s speech and his new alliance with their greatest political opponents.
“Robert F. Kennedy was my political hero. He fought fiercely and eloquently against poverty, injustice and economic fairness,” said David Axelrod, former advisor to President Obama. “Sadly, with his rambling exit from the race today, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proves that sometimes the apple falls far from the tree… in this case, it has fallen down hill and off a cliff.”
“Robert F. Kennedy Sr. would have been horrified to see his son make a deal to drop out of school.[Sic] “I support racism and I support Trump,” he added.
Kennedy’s sister, activist and lawyer Kerry Kennedy, denounced her brother’s speech and endorsement. In a statement posted to X, she and other members of the Kennedy family said, “My brother Bobby’s decision today to endorse Mr. Trump is a betrayal of the values our father and family hold most dear. It’s a sad ending to a sad story.”
Jon Pavlovitz, a prominent social media liberal, commented that “RFK Jr. endorsing Trump is like E. coli endorsing diarrhea.”
Liberal journalist Aaron Ruper mocked the announcement, saying, “My thought on RFK Jr. is, if you don’t want anti-vaxxer lunatics making federal health policy in a second Trump administration, you should vote for Kamala Harris.”
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