Former President Trump, while speaking at a Las Vegas restaurant on Friday, expressed gratitude to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his endorsement, just minutes after Kennedy announced that he was suspending his campaign to avoid being a “spoiler.”
“We just had a very nice endorsement from RFK Jr., Bobby,” Trump said at Il Toro E La Capra, a restaurant near the Vegas Strip, where he addressed the staff and supporters. He mentioned that he would elaborate on RFK Jr.’s endorsement during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, that evening. The rally was held at the same venue where Vice President Harris had a large event earlier this month, and Trump hinted at a “surprise guest.”
Trump continued, “But I just want to thank everybody, and I want to thank Bobby. That was very nice. That was really, that’s big. He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”
RFK Jr. had endorsed Trump just before the former president’s remarks in Las Vegas. During a press conference in Glendale, RFK Jr. announced his decision to stay off the ballot in both red and blue states to allow people to vote for him there, while removing his name from battleground states.
“Three causes drove me to enter this race in the first place. And these are the principal causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent and now to throw my support at President Trump,” RFK Jr. said, citing free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the “war on our children” as his motivations.
RFK Jr. accused the Democratic National Committee of waging a “continued legal war” against both Trump and himself. He also criticized the DNC for running a “sham primary” that stifled any serious challenge to President Biden before Biden secured the Democratic nomination, later dropping out in July and endorsing Harris.
In response, Harris’ campaign reached out to RFK Jr.’s supporters, stating: “For any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward, ours is a campaign for you. Vice President Harris wants to earn your support. Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all.”
DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill also commented, saying, “The more voters learned about RFK Jr., the less they liked him. Donald Trump isn’t earning an endorsement that’s going to help build support, he’s inheriting the baggage of a failed fringe candidate. Good riddance.”
