WASHINGTON – Several members of the Kennedy family condemned Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, calling the move “a betrayal.”
“We want an America filled with hope and united by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride,” said a statement signed by the siblings of five former independent presidential candidates.
“We believe in Harris and Walz,” the statement continued. “Our brother Bobby’s decision to support Trump today is a betrayal of the values our father and family hold most dear. It’s a sad ending to a sad story.”
The statement includes the signatures of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.
Joe Kennedy III, Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson, reacted to the statement, sharing it with an X and writing that it was “well said.”
Separately, Jack Schlossberg, the former candidate’s cousin, said he had “never been less surprised in my life.”
“I’ve been saying it for over a year – RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and I love it,” he posted to X. “Kamala Harris is for the people – the easiest decision ever made easier.”
Schlossberg is the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.
Many members of the Kennedy family have publicly criticized the independent president’s bid for the presidency, instead voicing their support, first for President Joe Biden and now for Harris.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race and supporting Trump. However, he said he would remove his name from the ballot only in “about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler.” He encouraged voters in states where he is still on the ballot to continue to support him.
“These are the reasons of principle that led me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to give my support to President Trump,” he said in his remarks on Friday. “The reasons were: freedom of speech, the war in Ukraine and the war against our children.”
Harris campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement that Harris’ campaign is for “every American who is fed up with Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward.”
“Even if we don’t agree on everything, Kamala Harris knows that more unites us than divides us: respecting rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms and opportunity for all,” she said in an effort to woo Kennedy. supporters.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
