Three weeks after ending his independent presidential bid, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has hit the campaign trail for Donald Trump.
Kennedy has been traveling alongside former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who has garnered her own following among right-leaning voters.
Kennedy ended his independent presidential bid last month and threw his support behind Trump.
At a rally in suburban Phoenix on Saturday night, the crowd was largely composed of Trump supporters, but some, like Jacob Cutler, wore apparel from Kennedy’s now-defunct campaign.
Former Independent candidate for president Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., left, answers a question as former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard listens as they meet with the media after a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz.
AP/Ross D. Franklin
A former Kennedy supporter, Cutler has shifted his allegiance to Trump, whom he sees as the best candidate to prevent a victory by Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democratic candidate.
“I was concerned about what would happen if she won, and so that’s why I felt like I needed to support Donald Trump and help him win,” said Cutler, who voted for Joe Biden in the last election. “If anything, the lesser of two evils.”
At the Phoenix event, Kennedy addressed criticism from his family and former allies regarding his support for Trump.
“I feel like people—including family members who have turned against me, my old friends who look at me with disdain and condemnation—are victims of a kind of hypnosis,” Kennedy told the crowd at Arizona Christian University.
“Those of us who are awake need to protect the things that are valuable in this country.”
Kennedy initially gained prominence as an environmental lawyer and a leader of an anti-vaccine group.
He challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before running as an independent, citing alleged bias against him within the Democratic Party.
The alliance between Kennedy and Trump gives the former president the opportunity to frame his campaign as bipartisan.
Kennedy’s support could sway a small but significant number of Democrats in key swing states like Arizona, which Biden narrowly won in 2020.
Trump’s strategy to reclaim the White House hinges on appealing to voters skeptical of government, corporate, and media institutions—an audience that Kennedy and Gabbard resonate with.
Both have strong followings among those who consume news through alternative media, such as podcasts and YouTube.
Recently, both Trump and Kennedy have used the slogan “Make America Healthy Again,” a reference to Kennedy’s controversial views on vaccines and his belief that chronic illnesses are on the rise.
He heads the organization Children’s Health Defense, which has filed a lawsuit against various news outlets accusing them of spreading misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
For Trump, Kennedy and Gabbard represent a “huge addition” to his campaign, according to supporters like Henry Slayton, a 62-year-old engineer from California.
“It shows you they’re all for the citizens, they’re for the American people, not out for themselves,” Slayton said.
Kennedy and Gabbard have been given roles in Trump’s presidential transition team, indicating they could play a part in shaping his administration if he returns to the White House.
Last week, Kennedy predicted that former President Donald Trump‘s support will drop following his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kennedy addressed Trump’s debate performance during an interview on Fox News‘s Your World With Neil Cavuto.
“I would suspect that the polling of the next week is going to show, probably, a slight drop in his support, particularly among independents,” Kennedy said.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
