In advance of a scheduled discourse, the backing of Donald Trump as the U.S. president was announced by the campaign staff of Robert F Kennedy Jr., as disclosed in legal files. Kennedy’s independent campaign also sought for his removal from the Pennsylvania ballot with no immediate clarity on whether he was formally renouncing his run for the US presidency.
Shortly before addressing an audience in Arizona on the current historic period and his future course, as disclosed by his campaign, Kennedy stepped down from the Arizona ballot after attaining far more than the necessary signatures to be on the ballot.
Despite this, queries were raised on the authenticity of some of the signatures and the risk of breaking the rules against candidate and independent political group collaboration, due to a pro-Kennedy political action committee’s involvement in gathering them.
Many would find it unbelievable that Kennedy, hailing from a most celebrated Democratic family, would cooperate with Trump to keep a Democrat out of the presidency. Criticisms have been exchanged between Kennedy and Trump in recent times, with each accusing the other of betraying their supporters and using extreme political views.
But over the past weeks, the two campaigns have increased mutual accolades, along with engaging in concealed discussions, as informed by those knowledgeable about the engagements. The two campaigns have also spent a substantial amount of time accusing the Democrats of exploiting the legal mechanism to their advantage.
However, we could see Kennedy joining Trump at a neighbouring rally in Glendale as Trump’s campaign indicated that a “special guest” would accompany him. Additionally, no responses were received from either campaign regarding whether Kennedy would be the guest.
It has been publicly insinuated by both parties that they are contemplating a potential coalition, with the unified mission of curtailing the electoral prospects of the Democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris. In a statement to CNN, Donald Trump expressed his desire for an endorsement from Mr Kennedy, praising him as an “intelligent individual”. The former president added he would be entirely receptive to providing a role within his administration to Mr Kennedy if he were to withdraw and support him.
Meanwhile, Nicole Shanahan, Mr Kennedy’s political ally, hinted in a recent podcast that their campaign might opt to unite forces with Donald Trump. Although she dismissed any personal interaction with Mr Trump, she speculated about the possibility of Mr Kennedy taking up a role as head of the Department of Health and Human Services in Trump’s administration. “Bobby would excel in such a post,” Ms Shanahan stated, expressing her full endorsement for the idea and enthusiasm for its potential.
Preceding remarks by Mr Kennedy, the offspring of ex-attorney general Robert F Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F Kennedy, coincide with a waning momentum in his campaign. Initially, he plunged into the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat but defected from the party the previous autumn to stand as an independent. His unusual fanbase for a third-party contender, partly bolstered by anti-establishment proponents and those skeptical about vaccines who admire his stance against vaccinations since the outbreak, has been established.
However, his campaign has been plagued by dwindling financial resources and escalating legal complications, among which a recent judgement by a New York magistrate denied him a place on the state’s ballot due to the citation of a phony voting address. According to contemporary surveys, support for his campaign sits within single-digit percentages. There is uncertainty as to his chances of even reaching this number in a general election, given the tendency for third-party candidates to fall short of preliminary polling indications with actual votes.
For Donald Trump, the conclusion of a week filled with tours of key electoral states arrives on Friday as he tries to distract from the Democrats’ jubilation over Kamala Harris’ nomination for candidacy in Chicago. He embarked on trips to Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and the US-Mexico frontier in Arizona, focusing on discussions surrounding his policies on economy, law and order, national security and the border issue. To conclude the week, Trump has lined up stops in both Las Vegas and Glendale on Friday.