Independent Candidate Kennedy Ends Bid, Backs Trump

A day after Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"Many months ago, I promised the American people that I would withdraw from the race if I became a spoiler," Kennedy said Aug. 23 in Phoenix. "In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory in the face of this relentless systematic censorship and media control."

Despite his Democratic roots, Kennedy left the Democratic Party in October to run as an independent. His campaign attracted undecided voters who were hesitant between Trump and President Joe Biden, whose candidacy drew low voter enthusiasm.

After Biden exited the race on July 21, he endorsed Harris, altering the dynamics of a tight race.

Kennedy blamed his campaign's struggles on "censorship and media control" by news organizations, tech companies, and Biden—a claim PolitiFact has investigated. He plans to remove his name from ballots in about 10 battleground states.

"If you live in a blue state, you can vote for me without harming or helping President Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris," Kennedy said. "In red states, the same will apply. I encourage you to vote for me."

Kennedy has already filed paperwork to withdraw from ballots in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Kennedy's campaign was unconventional. In May, The New York Times reported Kennedy's claim about a brain-eating worm, which experts deemed unlikely. In August, he posted a video saying he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park.

Kennedy is known for false antivaccine claims, earning PolitiFact's 2023 Lie of the Year. His falsehoods include claiming vaccines cause autism and that childhood vaccines are untested.

Here are six notable claims Kennedy made in 2024, which were fact-checked by PolitiFact:

Claim: "President Biden is the first candidate in history, the first president in history, that has used the federal agencies to censor political speech ... to censor his opponent."

• Rating: False

Kennedy's claim was flawed as he was not Biden’s political opponent in 2021, and experts say Biden's actions did not constitute censorship.

Claim: U.S. Border Patrol agents take migrants "to the Yuma, (Arizona,) airport, put them on a plane to any destination they want. ... And they pay their ticket. And then they get reimbursement from FEMA."

• Rating: False

Federal immigration officers do not pay for migrants’ flights; they pay for their own transportation.

Claim: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals "just ruled Covid vax mandates unconstitutional."

• Rating: False

The court overturned a dismissal of a lawsuit but did not rule on the mandate's constitutionality.

Claim: "Congress prohibits (The National Institutes of Health) from researching the cause of mass shootings."

• Rating: False

Congress clarified in 2018 that the NIH can fund gun-related research, which it has been doing since 2020.

Claim: On Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol "protestors carried no weapons."

• Rating: Pants on Fire!

Over 129 defendants were charged with using deadly weapons or causing injury.

Claim: "The much-trumpeted job growth in the last year was ENTIRELY part-time jobs."

• Rating: Half True

While part-time jobs did increase, experts advise against focusing on specific periods.