Trump world rolls out the red carpet for RFK, hoping he can help woo skeptics

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate, said that while he doesn't agree with RFK on every issue, he appreciates his "general skepticism" to the public health bureaucracy.

As 21 columns of fire shot out of the stage, Donald Trump walked out in front of a booming crowd in Phoenix last week to introduce the exiled scion of Democratic royalty he hoped would, once again, reset the 2024 campaign.

“Had he been allowed to enter the Democratic primary, he would have easily beaten Joe Biden,” Trump said to a huge crowd about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who stood on stage prepared to endorse Trump over the objection of his own family. “But they would not let him.”

Kennedy's support for Trump comes after weeks of momentum by Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden's exit from the race gave her a polling boost, which even Trump's team expects to continue after last week's widely watched Democratic National Convention.

Kennedy was running for president as a Democrat before becoming an independent, but then last week dropped his bid completely and backed Trump. The rally in Phoenix, which opened with the sort of strobe lights and pyrotechnics expected at a concert or monster truck rally, was Kennedy’s splashy coming-out party in Republican politics. 

The Kennedy family has openly viewed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as their black sheep because he both flirts with right-wing conspiracies — most notably as a vocal voice in the anti-vaccination movement — and has been well outside the Democratic Party's political mainstream.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-rfk-woo-skeptics-rcna168256

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