After Kennedy’s Endorsement of Trump, the Two Signal a New Alliance

One of the astir attention-grabbing days of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s autarkic statesmanlike bid was besides its last.

After toiling for months arsenic an electoral afterthought, Mr. Kennedy suspended his long-shot run connected Friday and endorsed erstwhile President Donald J. Trump successful a code successful Phoenix carried unrecorded by tv networks. Then, helium traveled crossed municipality to talk successful beforehand of the largest rally assemblage since helium began his third-party tally past year: an assemblage of 17,000 astatine a Trump lawsuit astatine an arena successful Glendale, Ariz.

As helium shook hands with Mr. Trump amid bursts of fireworks, Mr. Kennedy was, briefly, the prima of the show, a caller attraction for the Trump campaign. But it was unclear what impact, if any, Mr. Kennedy’s endorsement of Mr. Trump would person connected the 2024 race.

Framing his third-party bid arsenic an outsider question and a enactment of caller aerial for Americans fed up with partisan politics, Mr. Kennedy initially attracted important enactment — much than 20 percent successful immoderate aboriginal polls — and was particularly fashionable with Hispanic voters. Many voters had said they were frustrated with the deficiency of prime betwixt 2 unpopular and acquainted candidates: Mr. Trump and President Biden.

But Mr. Kennedy had been falling precocious successful polls, and plummeted further aft Vice President Kamala Harris took the mantle of Democratic nominee from Mr. Biden, luring immoderate wayward Democrats backmost home. Even those supporters who person remained steadfast to Mr. Kennedy are little apt than others to accidental they volition ballot successful November, and polls person not provided a accordant answer arsenic to whether Mr. Kennedy’s supporters would similar Ms. Harris oregon Mr. Trump.

Still, Mr. Trump and his allies connected Friday relished the information that the erstwhile president had won the backing of a subordinate of America’s astir storied Democratic family, albeit 1 who has had galore of his relatives denounce him and his endorsement of Mr. Trump. Of each the outlandish governmental quality stories of the summer, mused Charlie Kirk, the laminitis of Turning Point USA, which helped signifier the rally, “maybe astir singular of all: A Kennedy has endorsed a Republican.”