Social media users, both conservative and liberal, reacted strongly to independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to suspend his campaign and endorse former President Trump on Friday.
“I have made the heartbreaking decision to suspend my campaign and endorse President Trump. This decision is painful for me because of the hardship it causes me, my children and my friends,” Kennedy said Friday afternoon.
At his news conference in Phoenix, Arizona, Kennedy accused the Democratic Party of waging an “ongoing legal war against President Trump and me” and of conducting a “sham” Democratic primary election that he said prevented him from having a fair shot at the White House.
“In an honest system, I think I would have won the election,” he said. “I no longer believe I have a realistic track record of electoral victory in the face of this systematic and incessant censorship and control of the media.”
DOES KENNEDY'S EXIT FROM THE 2024 RACE HELP TRUMP MORE THAN HARRIS?
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign at a news conference Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Conservatives on social media applauded Kennedy's move.
Business owner and podcast host Patrick Bet-David commented on the major impact he believes Kennedy's endorsement of Trump will have on the election.
“RFK Jr. officially endorsed Trump and removed his name from the ballot in 10 key states. This has a BIGGER impact on the campaign than JD Vance's election as VP. JD Vance got the support of conservatives, but RFK will appeal to independents. The timing of the announcement is monumental.”
Donald Trump Jr. exclaimed: “RFK Jr. endorses Trump! UNITY, let's go!!!”
Conservative influencer duo The Hodge Twins praised the independent candidate, saying, “We may not agree on some things, but at least RFK Jr. is an honorable man. He puts his country first to defeat the communists.”
The Federalist's executive director and co-founder Sean Davis echoed Kennedy's message about supporting Trump and finding a way to hold government corruption accountable.
“RFK Jr. is absolutely right,” he wrote. “Our government is immoral, corrupt, authoritarian and tyrannical. It hates the people, it hates the rule of law. And if our nation is to survive, the regime that rules this country must be defeated and destroyed.”
“RFK JR. JUST BROUGHT DOWN THE MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY!” podcaster Graham Allen said while quoting Kennedy as saying, “It became the party of war, censorship, corruption, Big Pharma, Big Tech, and Big Money.”
Former NCAA swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines wrote: “RFK is making his point very well. It's brutally honest, respectable, undeniable. It's powerful.”
KAMALA HARRIS SUPPORTERS HAVE FELT UNCERTAINTY WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE VICE PRESIDENT'S POLITICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with his running mate, Nicole Shanahan. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Liberals, however, were outraged by Kennedy's speech and his new alliance with his main political opponent.
David Axelrod, a former Obama adviser, said: “Robert F. Kennedy was my political hero. He fought fiercely and eloquently against poverty, injustice and for economic justice. Sadly, RFK Jr.'s uncontrolled exit from the race today proves that sometimes an apple DOES fall far from the tree… in this case, down a hill and off a cliff.”
“Robert F. Kennedy Sr. would have been horrified to see his son make a deal to drop out of school because of him.[Sic] race and supporting Trump,” he added.
Kennedy's sister, activist and attorney Kerry Kennedy, denounced her brother's speech and endorsement. In a statement published on X, she and other Kennedy family members said in part: “Our brother Bobby's decision to support Trump today is a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad end to a sad story.”
Prominent liberal social media commentator John Pavlovitz commented: “RFK Jr. supporting Trump is like E. coli supporting diarrhea.”
Liberal journalist Aaron Rupar mocked the ad, saying, “My take on RFK Jr. is that if you don't want an anti-vax nutcase making federal health policy under a second Trump administration, vote for Kamala Harris.”
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