Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backs Trump as he suspends his campaign

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

LOS ANGELES – Southern California Republicans Friday welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s endorsement of Donald Trump, while the former independent presidential hopeful’s own siblings called the move a “betrayal” of the famed Democratic political family’s ideals.

Kennedy made his announcement during an appearance in Arizona, saying he was suspending his own bid for the White House and putting his support behind Trump. He later appeared alongside Trump at an Arizona rally.

Roxanne Hoge, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County Republican Party, told City News Service in an email that Kennedy, as a resident of California, “knows all too well the end results of Kamala Harris‘ policies.”

“Joining a large and diverse group of Democrats, Independents and Americans of all stripes, Kennedy brings innovative ideas and vision to the effort to support Trump’s campaign’s polices of peace and prosperity,” Hoge wrote.

On behalf of the LAGOP, Hoge said Republicans welcome Kennedy’s endorsement of the former president, and “welcome all classic liberals who are disappointed with the leftist lurch the Democrat Party has taken.”

The Republican Party of Orange County released a similar statement, celebrating Kennedy’s support of Trump.

“To the supporters of their once in a lifetime independent movement — you have a home in the Republican Party and we will work to earn your votes,” the statement read. “We may not agree on every issue but we do agree to solve the biggest problems facing American families we must have a nation and leadership that welcomes differences of opinion and a robust debate on public policy.”

During his Arizona announcement, Kennedy said he met with Trump and some of his advisers, realizing they aligned on “many key issues.”

“If President Trump is elected and honors his word, the vast burden of chronic disease that now demoralizes and bankrupts the country will disappear,” Kennedy said.

“President Trump has told me he wants this to be his legacy,” he added. “I’m continuing to believe that this time he will follow through. His son, his biggest donors and his closest friends all support this objective.”

In a joint statement released after the announcement, five of Kennedy’s siblings denounced their brother’s decision.

“We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic progress and national pride,” they wrote. “We believe in Harris and Walz. Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”

The statement was signed by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

The Harris campaign was quick to mock the so-called shared values of Trump and Kennedy, noting on social media that Kennedy “has pushed anti-vax and 9/11 conspiracy theories, says a parasitic worm entered his brain and ate part of it, evaded questions on allegations of sexual assault and admitted he dumped a dead bear in Central Park and then staged the scene to look like a bicyclist ran it over.”

Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon issued a statement inviting former Kennedy supporters to back the Democratic candidate, saying that even if they “do not agree” on all issues, Harris “knows there is more than unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms and opportunity for all.” (CNS)