Shawn Griffiths
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
Confirming speculating ahead of a press event Friday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr announced he was suspending his campaign -- which he said should not be confused for ending it.
“I am not terminating my campaign I am simply suspending it and not ending it. My name will remain on the ballot in most states,” Kennedy said. He added that his name will only be removed in states in which he'd be a "spoiler."
In other words, his name will likely not appear on ballots in critical battleground states. He announced his support for former President Donald Trump, but encouraged his supporters to vote for him in states where he will be on the ballot.
“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path of electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control," Kennedy said.
"So I cannot, in good conscience, ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours, or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House."
He asserted that "in an honest system," he "would have won the election."
Kennedy criticized the Democratic Party for running a "sham primary" and for the "continual legal warfare" he says the DNC has waged "against both President Trump" and himself.
He said the type of tactics used by the DNC were the reason he left the party in the first place as it erected barriers in front of him and other candidates that sought to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination.
After Kennedy launched his independent bid and began the signature gathering process across the US, he had to defend his right to be on the ballot in several states.
He won most legal challenges, including in Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Maine. He, however, lost his place on the New York ballot after the pro-DNC Clear Choice PAC challenged his state residency status.
It is expensive enough for independent and third-party candidates to attempt a presidential bid, but what can hut these campaigns the most are relentless challenges to their place on the ballot by the major parties.
The irony with Kennedy is that the DNC targeted his campaign, but polls suggested he would do more harm to Trump than he would to the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Now, with Kennedy suspending his campaign, and removing his name from the ballots of battleground states, analysts and pollsters anticipate an incredibly tight race for the White House.
Trump responded to Kennedy's endorsement, thanking him for his support. “I want to thank Bobby, that was very nice,” he said. “He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”