Democrats cry foul over RFK Jr.'s endorsement of Trump: His family claims a 'betrayal' of his father's values

Robert Kennedy Jr. shocked the presidential election by announcing the suspension of his campaign and his endorsement of Donald Trump's candidacy. The decision, which had been speculated about for some days, was announced by the candidate during an Arizona campaign event. Of course, this triggered a wave of reactions from across the political spectrum.

During his more than thirty-minute speech, Kennedy claimed to feel disappointed by the current Democratic Party, which first led to his running as an independent and then to his endorsement of Trump.

"The Democratic Party has waged a legal war against us and manipulated the electoral process. In an honest system, I believe I would have won. (...) I have made the heartbreaking decision to suspend my campaign and endorse President Trump. This decision is distressing to me because of the hardship it causes me, my children and my friends," Kennedy said. 

Here's how Democrats reacted after RFK Jr. endorsement of Trump

The first reaction came directly from the Kennedy family. In a letter signed by siblings Kathleen, Courtney, Kerry, Chris and Roy, the signatories criticized their brother's decision and maintained their support for the Harris-Walz ticket.

"We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future. We believe in Harris and Walz. Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear," they wrote. They later added that it was "a sad ending to a sad story."

According to Washington Post reporter Tyler Pager, Kerry was considerably more upset than the statement implied. "I’m outraged and disgusted by Bobby’s gaudy and obscene embrace of Donald Trump. think if he were alive today my father would have detested almost everything about Donald Trump," she told Pager.

In turn, the Harris campaign issued a statement that did not mention Kennedy and tried to appeal directly to his voters.

"For any American who is tired of Donald Trump and is looking for a new way forward, ours is a campaign for you. In order to deliver for working people and those who feel left behind, we need a leader who will fight for you, not just for himself, and unite us, not tear us apart. Vice President Harris wants to earn your support," Jen O'Malley Dillon, Harris' campaign chairman, stated. 

"Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all," she added.

Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the House of Representatives, recalled on her social media a fragment of her speech about the Kennedy family and celebrated that they had mostly lined up behind Harris. "From generation to generation, I am proud to be a Democrat and pleased to join the Kennedy family in supporting Kamala Harris for President. Onward from our Democratic Convention to a great Democratic victory!" she expressed on X.

"This event will be the most media attention RFK Jr. gets between now and Election Day"

They were joined by some Democratic opinion leaders and activists, including Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor and Lis Smith.

The first two, hosts of Pod Save America and former Obama Administration officials, took aim at Kennedy and questioned the impact his endorsement could have on the election.

"The fact that RFk Jr sold his endorsement to the highest bidder is going to dramatically undermine his ability to convince his supporters to follow him to Trump," Pfeiffer wrote on X, while Vietor weighed in along the same lines.

"This event will be the most media attention RFK Jr. gets between now and Election Day and he's wasting it with a totally ineffective message. Voters don't care if Kamala does interviews and even if she did, she's going to do them in the near future so the charge will be answered," he added.

Finally, Smith joined the Kennedy family in speaking of betrayal, both to voters and to the Democratic Party of his father and uncle. "This potential backroom deal - closed with a man who embodies the worst, most toxic and most polarizing aspects of American politics - is a betrayal of Robert Kennedy Jr. and the brand of foreign policy that was the premise of his candidacy," she said.

As for Republicans, Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, celebrated the decision on the aforementioned social media platform

"Congratulations to my friend RFK Jr. for his impactful campaign that opened the eyes of so many Americans. He started as a Democrat. He continued as an independent. He concluded as a great American. We have a nation to unite and I know he will play a vital role in helping us get there," he said.