Headline: RFK Jr. Calls It Quits, Backs Trump in Election Twist

Well, folks, you won't believe this one! Just a day after Kamala Harris cinched the Democratic nomination for president, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. threw in the towel and hopped on the Trump train. That’s right, the son of a liberal icon is now standing with the MAGA crowd!

"Many months ago, I promised the American people that I would withdraw from the race if I became a spoiler," Kennedy said in sunny 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 being a Kennedy, RFK Jr. ditched the Democratic nomination bid back in October and went independent, pulling in voters stuck between Trump and Biden, who, let's face it, had all the appeal of a damp rag. When Biden bailed in July, Harris got the nod, and surveys showed it was a nail-biter.

Kennedy’s guy blamed his campaign failure on—you guessed it—censorship and media control by news corps, tech giants, and ol' Biden himself. He said he’d try to yank his name off ballots in battleground states, telling folks in blue states to vote for him as if it mattered.

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

Already, Kennedy’s pulling chits in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Kennedy's campaign was anything but boring. Back in May, The New York Times reported on Kennedy’s wild tale about some brain-eating worm that scarfed part of his grey matter. Weird, right?

Then in August, he dumped a dead bear’s carcass in Central Park via video on X—classy move, RFK. But it’s his anti-vaccine ramblings that earned him PolitiFact's 2023 Lie of the Year. Classic claims include vaccines causing autism and psychiatric drugs sparking mass shootings.

Let’s dive into some of his greatest (and wildest) hits, checked by the Truth-O-Meter this past year:

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 griped about censorship, stating in an April CNN interview that Biden’s admin contacted Twitter to remove his anti-vax posts. Turns out, his claims didn’t hold water: he wasn’t even a serious contender in 2021.

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

In a June livestream, Kennedy claimed Border Patrol hands out plane tickets like candy on Halloween. But DHS slammed the claim, clarifying that FEMA doesn’t reimburse them—migrants pay their own way.

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

Rating: False

Kennedy got folks riled up saying the 9th Circuit ruled against vax mandates. Legal nerds crushed the claim, explaining the court merely reinstated a lawsuit, not the mandate itself.

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

Rating: False

In April, RFK Jr. suggested Congress slapped a ban on NIH mass shooting research. Turns out, that restriction, known as the Dickey Amendment, was lifted back in 2018. Research money has been flowing ever since.

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

Rating: Pants on Fire!

Kennedy claimed the Jan. 6 crowd was peaceful. Truth is, over 160 were charged with carrying weapons or injuring cops. After a fact-check, Kennedy retracted his lie like a scared turtle.

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

Rating: Half True

In March, Kennedy claimed America’s job boom was just part-time gigs. Experts cautioned against fixating on short periods, but it's true that part-time jobs contributed significantly to the growth.

Seems like Kennedy's campaign was a roller coaster of kooky stories and tall tales. So, while he might have thrown his hat in the ring, it looks like he's hanging it up and backing the GOP. Welcome to the club, RFK Jr.!

PolitiFact Staff Writer Maria Ramirez Uribe, Senior Correspondent Amy Sherman, Chief Correspondent Louis Jacobson, and Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.