The landscape of the 2024 presidential election has once again undergone a titanic shift with the decision of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to depart the race and back former President Donald Trump—prompting diverse reactions among members of both major parties.
“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory in the face of … relentless, systematic censorship and media control,” Kennedy said in a national address on Aug. 23.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump (R) shake hands during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 23, 2024. Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Instead, the independent urged his followers to vote for Trump, citing their agreement on central issues like food and medicine regulations, anti-interventionist foreign policy, and combatting government censorship.
For Republicans, the move represents a boost of momentum in the wake of President Joe Biden’s departure from the race.
Despite a hot and cold relationship with the independent since Kennedy entered the race 16 months ago, Trump responded graciously to the endorsement.
Trump introduced Kennedy at his Glendale, Arizona rally as sparkler bursts projected behind the stage and the song “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters played in the background.
“He’s a very low-key person, but he’s highly respected. He is a great person. I’ve known him for so long, for the past 16 months,” Trump said, congratulating Kennedy on an “extraordinary campaign.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the endorsement shows that “Donald J. Trump’s Republican Party is a big tent party.”
“I think what RFK’s endorsement really shows is that the Kennedy Democrats are actually more at home in the Republican Party of Donald Trump,” Vance added.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also praised the alliance, saying it “gives us an opportunity to address chronic illness and demonstrate how to heal and unify our country.”
Democrats, meanwhile, have reacted dismissively when discussing the potential impact of the Trump-Kennedy alliance.
Hannah Muldavin, a top spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, told NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” that Kennedy’s departure “changes nothing about the actual election.”
She said his decision proves that Kennedy was only running to be “a spoiler for Trump.”
Speaking to The Epoch Times at the Democratic National Convention ahead of Kennedy’s announcement, Democrats had much the same attitude.
“Kennedy voters are Trump voters anyway,” Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) told The Epoch Times.
Instead, Democrats say that they’re more concerned by two different candidates—the Green Party’s Jill Stein and independent Cornel West.
Former Rep. Bakari Sellers (D-S.C.) said “nobody cares” when asked about the prospect of Kennedy leaving the race. He called RFK Jr. “a complete non-factor.”
Instead, he says he’s “more concerned” with left-wing candidates West and Stein.
Both are running to the left of the Democratic Party on the issues—particularly the Israel–Hamas conflict that’s left Democrats sharply divided.
It’s unclear what impact Kennedy’s departure will have, despite the optimism from both parties, though some polls suggest that it will favor Trump, who many of Kennedy’s supporters say they align more with.
—Joseph Lord
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel early on Sunday, as Israel’s military said it struck Lebanon with around 100 jets to thwart a larger attack.
Footage posted to social media showed Iron Dome missiles intercepting targets coming from Lebanon in Israel’s north. Local media reported rocket sirens across northern Israel, including Golan Heights’s Katzrin as well as in several Upper Galilee border communities. Drone sirens were also reported sounding in several Galilee towns.
As the sirens rang in Israel, Hezbollah released a statement saying that over the past hours, it had launched more than 320 rockets and several drones carrying explosives toward northern Israel. The terrorist group said the attacks targeted 11 military bases but did not mention IDF airstrikes reported in Lebanon.
Following the attack, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Sunday issued a security alert, warning that American citizens should exercise “caution and increased personal security awareness,” including knowing the location of the nearest shelter.
With three deaths confirmed in Lebanon and one in Israel, both sides indicated they were ready to avoid further escalation for now, but warned that there could be more strikes to come.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Iranian-backed group’s barrage, a retaliation for the assassination of senior commander Fuad Shukr last month, had been completed “as planned.”
However, the group would assess the impact of its strikes, and “if the result is not enough, then we retain the right to respond another time”, he said.
Israel’s foreign minister said the country did not seek a full-scale war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned, “This is not the end of the story.”
The strikes from both sides come as Western nations, including the U.S., seek to stave off an escalation of the conflict that has raged in the region since Oct. 7, 2023.
U.S. Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in the Middle East on Saturday and met with military leaders in Jordan to discuss options to avoid an escalation in the region. He will also meet with military leaders in Egypt and Israel.
Concerns have especially focused on the Iran-backed Hezbollah, operating to Israel’s north in Lebanon, and fears of a wider regional war linger.
More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel have been displaced from their homes for months following Oct. 7 because of concerns that Hezbollah might launch a cross-border attack similar to Hamas.
—Joseph Lord
BOOKMARKS
Kennedy will continue campaigning for Trump after his initial appearance at Trump’s Arizona rally, The Epoch Times’ Joseph Lord reported. Kennedy says he will be “campaigning actively” for the former president—a campaign partnership that could boost Trump in swing-state polling that remains in nearly a dead heat.
A Pennsylvania court has ruled that independent Cornel West cannot appear on the presidential ballot in Pennsylvania, The Epoch Times’ Jack Phillips reported. The court sided with the Secretary of State’s office, saying West lacked the required affidavits for 14 of West’s 19 presidential electors. West was expected to take votes almost exclusively from Democrats; his absence from the ballot boosts Democrats’ chances as polls show a dead heat in the state.
Harris’s campaign raised $82 million during the DNC, The New York Times reported. The campaign also says it’s taken in a total of $540 million in the last month.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) accused federal law enforcement of failing to do its due diligence in investigating Trump’s attempted assassination, The Hill reported. “The Secret Service [and] FBI are basically dragging their feet. They’re stonewalling us,” Johnson said.
