Trump Embraces Kennedy, Pledges Release of JFK Files

Independent candidate endorses former president after suspending his campaign
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 24, 2024 6:14 AM CDT
Trump Embraces Kennedy, Pledges Release of JFK Files
Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received a rock star welcome amid chants of "Bobby!" at a Donald Trump rally in Glendale, Arizona, Friday night, where he endorsed the former president.

  • "Don't you want a president that's going to make America healthy again?" Kennedy asked the crowd, hours after suspending his own independent run for president, reports the New York Times.
  • Trump, for his part, made reference to John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Sr., Kennedy's famous uncle and father, telling the crowd, "I know they are looking down right now and they are very, very proud of Bobby. I'm proud of Bobby." (Five of Kennedy's siblings disagreed with that strongly.)
  • Trump also promised to release "all of the remaining documents pertaining to the assassination of John F Kennedy" if elected, per the Guardian. And he promised to establish a new commission on presidential assassination attempts, including the one on himself last month in Pennsylvania.

  • Trump also said that he would establish a panel—"working with Bobby"—to investigate chronic health conditions and childhood ailments such as autoimmune disorders, autism, and obesity, per the AP.
  • The two candidates have sparred publicly over various issues, but Kennedy said that's not important now. "We talked not about the things that separated us—because we don't agree on everything—but on the values and the issues that bind us together," he told the crowd.
  • Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, this week floated the idea of Kennedy becoming Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services, notes the AP.
(More Election 2024 stories.)

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