US election campaign: Kennedy supports Trump – withdrawal in swing states

The independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is now supporting the Republican Donald Trump and is withdrawing from particularly contested states. The 70-year-old announced this during an appearance in the state of Arizona. Just a few hours later, he was back on stage – this time at a Trump campaign event. Kennedy’s move is likely to give the ex-president an advantage in the race against the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the November election – although it is still unclear to what extent.

Cheering crowd

Trump’s supporters in Glendale celebrated the guest with shouts of “Bobby, Bobby” – Kennedy’s nickname. The former president welcomed him by saying that he did not like the way Kennedy had attacked him during the election campaign. “But he is a phenomenal person,” said Trump, stressing that together they wanted to defeat “the corrupt political establishment.” Kennedy’s supporters called on Trump to join the coalition. Kennedy, for his part, said that he had not spoken to Trump “about the things that divide us – because we do not agree on everything – but about the values ​​and issues that unite us.”

Sharp criticism of the system

Kennedy stated that Trump had promised him a role in his potential government. He justified his support for the Republican primarily with his disappointment with the Democrats. Kennedy accused them of influencing the election campaign using undemocratic means. He also sharply criticized the US media, which he accused of reporting unbalancedly and in favor of the Democrats.

Kennedy announced that he wanted to have his name removed from the ballot in the particularly contested swing states. However, this may not be possible everywhere at such short notice. Kennedy explicitly stressed, however, that he was not withdrawing completely from the race. In the other states, people could still vote for him without this harming Trump or Harris, he explained.

Election campaign without a chance

The nephew of the legendary former President John F. Kennedy has no chance in the presidential election – in polls he is only averaging around 5 percent. But both Democrats and Republicans are looking at him with concern. The race between Trump and Harris is extremely close, and Kennedy could take decisive votes from both sides. Current polls show that his candidacy is more likely to harm Trump. Kennedy’s support could now reduce the risk of a split in the conservative voter base in key states, which would help Trump.

Important swing states

Kennedy’s decision is considered particularly important because of the complex US electoral system. While most of the 50 states are firmly in the hands of the Republicans or Democrats, a few are hotly contested. Particularly close races are expected in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

With their votes in November, voters determine the composition of the 538-member electoral college, which ultimately elects the president. To win, candidates need at least 270 electoral votes. The decisive factor here is the majority in the electoral college (“electoral vote”) and not the actual majority of votes across the country (“popular vote”).

The number of electors per state is roughly based on the size of the population. Due to the majority voting system that applies in almost all states, the winner of a state receives all of the electors – even in the case of narrow victories.

There was already speculation about Kennedy’s withdrawal. His vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan had suggested a merger with Trump. At the same time, there were reports that the duo was running out of money for the campaign.

Important surname

Kennedy comes from a prominent political family and was a Democrat for decades. However, he increasingly distanced himself from the party and announced his independent presidential bid in October 2023. The avowed anti-vaccination campaigner has been frequently criticized by Democrats and family members for spreading conspiracy myths and having contacts with far-right politicians.

Family members now described Kennedy’s support for Trump as a “betrayal of the values ​​that our father and our family hold dear.” They spoke of a “sad end to a sad story.” Their support in the election campaign goes to Democrat Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.