Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign on Friday to endorse Donald Trump, a testament to why Trump has endured so long in politics despite his controversial persona, devastating legal attacks and endless bad press.
Contrary to media reports, Trump’s unexpected rise in popularity stems not from a far-right threat to democracy, but rather from genuine grassroots concerns about the direction of America under the control of increasingly illiberal forces on the left.
Kennedy was so committed to telling the truth that it was unpopular with the media and Democrats that CNN canceled its live coverage of his speech.
Kennedy said, defense His reasons for support are common to many of Trump’s reluctant supporters, including a concern for alleviating suffering for the poor and a commitment to core American values that the modern Democratic Party opposes.
The Structure of Tyranny
Kennedy persuasively strengthens his position with his understanding of tyranny: instead of focusing on rhetoric, he sharpens his analysis of how power actually works, pointing out that it is the consolidation of power, not mean-spirited tweets, that creates fertile ground for tyranny.
This endorsement was a rejection of the Democratic Party and what RFK Jr. described as the “consolidation of corporate and economic power,” which he believes will be “complete” if the Democrats hold power in the United States for the next four years.
And it is the Democratic Party, not Donald Trump, that has the institutional backing to install the tyranny they so lip-service denounce. The lack of actual democratic processes and procedures within the Democratic Party was apparent to Kennedy, who accurately portrayed the former Democratic Party as ironically saving democracy by systematically dismantling it.
Kennedy spoke on Friday about the high stakes, focusing on the structural realities of how democracy is being destroyed. His message was essentially uplifting and depressing in equal measure. It was moving because he spoke to the American people as a true statesman, someone concerned with the well-being of the country, not one pandering to craft a popular image among the powerful and well-connected.
And yet his words were filled with pain.
Kennedy grew up steeped in Democratic politics and had no intention of breaking with his family’s party. However, he set an example of virtue for the masses, prioritizing principles over party and power. Nevertheless, his determination to speak the truth, which was unpopular in the media and in Democratic circles, led CNN to cancel live coverage of his speeches.
Censorship helps Democrats power
The incident only reinforces one of Kennedy’s main criticisms of the current Democratic Party: that it is a party of elites who maintain their hold on power through anti-democratic means, including the weaponization of government institutions and, most importantly, the dissemination of propaganda by party “spokespeople” and “stenographers” in corporate newsrooms.
His denunciation of the media as an “organ” of the Democratic Party is inextricably linked to his understanding of the Democratic Party as an existential threat to the American way of life. He diagnoses the problems with the Democratic Party’s near monopoly on the mainstream media, stating that it is the truth, not the lies, that are censored by those in power.
Kennedy’s caution against “resorts to censorship and control of the media” highlights the dire state of America’s current political climate. For a sitting American president to use his position of power to collude with media companies or to force them to censor political speech is a clear attack on “the most sacred right of free expression” that is at the heart of America’s experiment in self-governance.
Kennedy’s integrity and courage are a bittersweet reminder of what was once a respected figure in American politics. He is now a traitor to the party that abandoned principles in the pursuit of power. statement Kennedy denounced his support for Trump, putting his principles above power, popularity and expediency.
In a sea of charlatans and con men vying for power, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains a man who puts the people above partisan politics. He may be the last true Democrat in the country.
