US presidential election: RFK Jr. endorses Trump, but how much momentum will it give?
File photo.
Independent presidential candidateRobert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday (Aug 23)abandoned his campaign and endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.Hours after announcing the endorsement in a press conference, Kennedy joined Trump at a campaign event in Arizona, where the crowd cheered the independent loudly.
"His candidacy has inspired millions and millions of Americans, raised critical issues that have been too long ignored in this country," Trump said of Kennedy.
Earlier, Kennedy, 70,told reportersthat he met with Trump and his aides several times and learned they agreed on key issues including border security, free speech and ending wars.
How much impact will the endorsement have?
An analysis of poll data done by ABC News showed thatKennedy's endorsement of Trump will have a minimal impact on the presidential race.
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Kennedy, who has consistently polled around 5 per cent since Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee, was drawing roughly equally from both Trump and Harris, with that support coming from both traditionally Democratic and traditionally Republican groups, ABC News reported.
The analysis said that Kennedy's endorsement of Trumpmay marginally help the Republican among white, male, and older voters.
'Decision to endorse Trump betrays family values'
Reacting to Kennedy's decision to endorse Trump, his sisterKerry said that this decision betrayed their family's values."It is a sad ending to a sad story," she said on social media.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. entered the race in April 2023 as a challenger to President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.
With some voters at the time turned off by both the ageing Biden and the legally embattled Trump, interest in Kennedy soared. He later decided to run as an independent, and a November 2023 poll by Reuters/Ipsos showed Kennedy with 20 per cent support in a three-way race with Biden and Trump.
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For a time, both the Biden and Trump campaigns showed signs they were worried that Kennedy could draw enough support to change the election outcome.
However,as the race changed quickly in the last two months-- withTrump surviving an assassination attempt and Biden leaving the race and endorsing Kamala Harris-- voter interest in Kennedy waned.
(With inputs from agencies)