{"id":2329158,"date":"2024-08-22T12:13:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T16:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-kennedy-dropping-out-would-serve-as-a-boon-for-trump-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-22T12:17:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T16:17:39","slug":"why-kennedy-dropping-out-would-serve-as-a-boon-for-trump-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-kennedy-dropping-out-would-serve-as-a-boon-for-trump-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Kennedy dropping out would serve as a boon for Trump &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-kennedy-dropping-out-would-serve-as-a-boon-for-trump-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2329158&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses\u2063 the potential impact of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&#8217;s\u2063 expected\u2064 withdrawal from\u2063 the 2024 presidential race on\u2063 Donald Trump&#8217;s campaign. Kennedy, an independent candidate, is anticipated to\u2063 drop out soon and may endorse \u200dTrump, \u200cwhich could significantly alter the dynamics of the election. Analysts suggest Kennedy&#8217;s exit could unite voters he attracted, particularly those skeptical of vaccines and disenchanted with\u200d the current \u200bDemocratic leadership, under Trump&#8217;s banner. <\/p>\n<p>Kennedy&#8217;s\u200b unique platform appealed to both left and \u2062right voters, which included support\u200b for\u2063 environmental issues, abortion access, and \u2062skepticism about U.S. foreign policy and \u2063vaccines. Many\u200b of his initial supporters were Democrats \u200cuneasy with President Biden, but with Biden&#8217;s shift to Kamala Harris as the main candidate, those votes may lean toward\u2063 Trump if Kennedy \u2062endorses \u2062him. Polls indicate that a \u200dsignificant portion of Kennedy\u2019s \u2062backers\u2014especially those \u2062who were previously aligned with third-party\u200c candidates\u2014might convert\u200b their support to Trump, \u2063potentially bolstering his position in\u200b the race.\u2062 Kennedy dropping out and endorsing Trump could \u200benergize Trump&#8217;s\u2063 campaign\u200d and shift critical voter dynamics as the election \u200bapproaches.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Why Kennedy dropping out would serve as a boon for Trump<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1735602\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>After nearly a month of bad news, the Trump campaign could get an injection of energy in the form of independent presidential candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rfk-jr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a> dropping out. <\/p>\n<p>Kennedy is widely expected to end his long-shot bid for the White House on Friday after months of fighting to get ballot access in enough states to make himself competitive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/election-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>in November<\/a>. His withdrawal could also come with an endorsement for former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts debated Kennedy&rsquo;s effect on the race until President Joe Biden dropped out in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. The consensus has been that he has taken away votes largely from Trump. His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, began openly flirting with the idea of &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-open-to-giving-rfk-jr-cabinet-position-in-move-that-could-neutralize-third-party-threat-to-gop-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump open to giving RFK Jr. Cabinet position in move that could neutralize third-party threat to GOP - Washington Examiner\">joining forces&#038;rdquo<\/a>; with Trump against Harris this week, leading to an announcement that Kennedy would address the nation about his campaign&rsquo;s future in Phoenix on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>If Kennedy drops out and endorses Trump, it could once again shift the dynamics of the 2024 presidential race.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Biden-skeptics parking votes<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/dnc-harris-speech-election-2024\/card\/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-departure-would-likely-help-trump-polls-suggest-3pcmG55p0l6n8kwyu0qP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"According to\">According to<\/a> the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>, Democrats who backed Kennedy earlier in the year largely did so as a way of &ldquo;parking&rdquo; their vote, because they were uneasy with Biden. The Democratic Party&rsquo;s switch to Harris assuaged those fears, and voters flocking to her made up much of the honeymoon surge she experienced.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The RFK curiosity on the left is gone,&rsquo;&rsquo; focus-group specialist and anti-Trump Republican Sarah Longwell told the outlet. The remaining Kennedy voters are &ldquo;Trumpy people, and so he will pick up those voters&rsquo;&rsquo; if he drops out and endorses Trump.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anti-vaccine sentiment<\/h2>\n<p>Kennedy burst onto the 2024 contest scene as a prominent skeptic of vaccines generally &mdash; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/COVID-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>COVID-19<\/a> shots in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans concerned about the rush to manufacture and require vaccines to protect against the worst effects of COVID-19 brought what was once a fringe element on the Left into the mainstream on the Right. Operation Warp Speed, Trump&rsquo;s successful initiative to cut red tape and facilitate the rapid production of COVID-19 vaccines, wasn&rsquo;t enough to convince some of the former president&rsquo;s strongest supporters that the shots were safe for consumers. <\/p>\n<p>Even after the worst of the pandemic had passed, Kennedy continued to rail against vaccines of different stripes, offering a home for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>voters<\/a> incensed about the restrictions that were imposed on people who declined to be inoculated.<\/p>\n<p>Vaccine skeptics are a small but fierce community. A Pew Research poll last year found that most adults favor vaccinating children for mumps, measles, and rubella, a common series of immunizations that prevent deadly disease. However, there was a small uptick in people voicing concerns about the safety of the shots.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The polarized response to the handling of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/topic\/coronavirus-disease-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>coronavirus outbreak<\/a>&nbsp;in the United States, including the role of COVID-19 vaccines, has been a source of deep concern for medical and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pfizers-chief-vaccine-officer-advised-u-s-government-on-redrafting-gain-of-function-research-policy\/\" title=\"Pfizer\u2019s Chief Vaccine Officer Advised U.S. Government On Redrafting Gain Of Function Research Policy\">public health communities<\/a>,&rdquo; Pew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/science\/2023\/05\/16\/americans-largely-positive-views-of-childhood-vaccines-hold-steady\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>found<\/a>. &ldquo;It has also raised questions about whether vaccine hesitancy connected with COVID-19 vaccines would spill into Americans&rsquo; views of other vaccines.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump and most Republicans have dropped their grievances with vaccine mandates, but RFK Jr. voters might feel more welcomed by the GOP than by Democrats. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inside-Outside group<\/h2>\n<p>Despite his famous last name, Kennedy also provided disaffected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democrats<\/a>, and some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Republicans<\/a>, an outlet to vent their frustration with the people who have been and remain in power.<\/p>\n<p>Biden wasn&rsquo;t running as an outsider in 2024, and Trump was running a pseudo-reelection campaign.<\/p>\n<p>With Kennedy, voters could cast a vote for change that meant a brand new face in the White House. Winning a campaign also would have been a career first, as Kennedy had toyed with politics for years but never tried to put himself in contention for public office before trying to win the presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Voters who want to see someone new in the Oval Office might not be completely satisfied with casting a ballot to send Trump back, though he does represent more of an outsider perspective than Harris. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voter crossover <\/h2>\n<p>Kennedy was known for his eclectic platform that appealed to voters on the Left and Right. His environmentalist positions, support for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>abortion<\/a> access, and support for reparations, as well as his status as the son of one of the United States&rsquo;s biggest liberal icons, made him appealing to left-wing voters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>His skepticism over support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, vaccine skepticism, criticism of the U.S.&rsquo;s COVID-19 response, and sympathetic position toward Trump have endeared him to many on the Right. Kennedy&rsquo;s support for some conspiracy theories has also won him favor among many of the more conspiratorial-minded on the Right.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the polls say<\/h2>\n<p><em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> polling found that among voters backing third-party or independent candidates, half would switch their vote to Trump while one-quarter would back Harris &mdash; this proportion would likely shift further in Trump&rsquo;s favor if Kennedy threw his weight behind the former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>president<\/a> with an explicit endorsement.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> found that without Kennedy, the race would shift back into Trump&rsquo;s favor &ndash; Harris held a 1% lead with Kennedy in the race, while Trump held a 2% lead without him. The same group of voters backing third-party or independent candidates also have a far more positive view of Trump. Those who disapprove of Trump&rsquo;s job as president outweighed those who approved by 7%, while disapproval with Harris outweighed the positive by 47%.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and Kennedy have had an on-off relationship throughout the 2024 campaign, with some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/05\/us\/politics\/trump-rfk-running-mate.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>speculation<\/a> that Trump could approach Kennedy to be his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/basement-blitz-harris-borrows-one-tactic-from-biden-another-from-trump-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Basement blitz: Harris borrows one tactic from Biden, another from Trump - Washington Examiner\">running mate early<\/a> on stifled by public attacks pinning him as a far-left radical. Kennedy called Trump shortly after the assassination attempt against him last month to express his sympathy, footage of which was leaked online.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1735602\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1735602\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Why Kennedy&#8217;s Withdrawal Could Benefit Trump**<\/p>\n<p>After a challenging month for the Trump campaign, the potential exit of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could provide a much-needed boost. Kennedy is anticipated to announce his departure from the race on Friday after struggling for months to secure ballot access in enough states to be competitive in November. His exit might also come with an endorsement for former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts have debated Kennedy&#8217;s impact on the election until President Joe Biden stepped aside in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, with many believing that Kennedy has primarily siphoned votes away from Trump. This week, his running mate Nicole Shanahan hinted at a possible alliance with Trump against Harris, coinciding with an announcement that Kennedy would speak about his campaign\u2019s future in Phoenix on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>If he does withdraw and endorses Trump, it could significantly alter the landscape of the 2024 presidential race.<\/p>\n<p>**Democrats Parking Votes**<\/p>\n<p>According to the Wall Street Journal, many Democrats who supported Kennedy earlier did so as a way to &#8220;park&#8221; their votes due to their discomfort with Biden. The Democratic Party&#8217;s shift towards Harris alleviated those concerns and attracted voters back to her during her initial surge. Focus-group expert Sarah Longwell noted that interest in RFK Jr. among left-leaning voters has diminished; those still supporting him are likely more aligned with Trump&#8217;s views and would likely switch their support if he endorses Trump.<\/p>\n<p>**Vaccine Skepticism**<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy emerged as a prominent critic of vaccines\u2014especially COVID-19 vaccines\u2014during his campaign. Some Republicans who were wary of vaccine mandates found common ground with him as he brought previously fringe views into mainstream discourse within conservative circles. Despite Trump&#8217;s Operation Warp Speed initiative aimed at expediting vaccine production, some loyal supporters remained skeptical about vaccine safety.<\/p>\n<p>Even post-pandemic, Kennedy continued advocating against various vaccines and resonated strongly with voters frustrated by vaccination mandates\u2014a small but passionate group according to Pew Research findings which indicated growing concerns over vaccine safety among certain demographics.<\/p>\n<p>While most Republicans have moved past grievances regarding vaccine mandates, RFK Jr.&#8217;s supporters may feel more aligned with GOP values than Democratic ones now.<\/p>\n<p>**An Outlet for Discontent**<\/p>\n<p>Despite his well-known surname, Kennedy offered disillusioned Democrats\u2014and some Republicans\u2014a platform through which they could express dissatisfaction toward established political figures like Biden and even Trump\u2019s re-election bid approach. With no outsider candidate like himself running this time around (Biden was not positioning himself as such), voters seeking change might hesitate at voting for another term under Trump despite viewing him as less establishment than Harris.<\/p>\n<p>**Crossing Party Lines**<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy&#8217;s diverse platform attracted both left-leaning and right-leaning voters alike: environmental policies appealed to liberals while skepticism towards Ukraine support and criticism of COVID responses resonated on the right side of politics too\u2014alongside conspiracy theories that found traction among certain groups there.<\/p>\n<p>Polling data from Wall Street Journal indicates that half of third-party or independent candidates&#8217; supporters would switch allegiance to Trump if given an explicit endorsement from Kennedy; only one-quarter would lean toward Harris instead\u2014which suggests further shifts toward Trump&#8217;s favor without Kennedy in play (he held only a 1% lead over Biden when included).<\/p>\n<p>The same demographic showed greater approval ratings for Trump compared to Harris\u2014with disapproval rates heavily skewed against her by 47%. Throughout this election cycle, speculation arose regarding potential collaboration betweenTrump andKennedy before public criticisms labeled him too far-left radical; however recent interactions suggest some camaraderie remains between them following last month&#8217;s assassination attempt incident involvingKennedy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2329159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/donald-trump-rfk-jr-potential-endorsement-august-2024.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32431,5111,3634],"class_list":["post-2329158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2024-election","tag-kennedy","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/donald-trump-rfk-jr-potential-endorsement-august-2024.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2329158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2329159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2329158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2329158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2329158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}