Arizona - In a surprising turn of events, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his 2024 presidential campaign on Friday, announcing that after deep prayer and reflection, he has decided to endorse former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. Kennedy shared this decision at a news conference in Phoenix, Arizona, just hours before a scheduled Trump rally in the state.

“This is a spiritual journey for me,” Kennedy, 70, said. “I reached my decision through deep prayer, through hard-nosed logic, and I asked myself, ‘What choices must I make to maximize my chances to save America's children and restore national health?’”

Kennedy, who had been polling around 5% nationally, disclosed that he intends to remove his name from the ballot in 10 key swing states, urging his supporters to vote for Trump in these competitive areas. However, he plans to remain on the ballot in noncompetitive states.

Kennedy explained that he had met with Trump to discuss critical issues such as war, free speech, and chronic diseases in children. While acknowledging their differences, Kennedy emphasized that he and Trump are aligned on several significant issues. “We are aligned with each other on … key issues, like ending the forever wars, ending the childhood disease epidemic, securing the border, protecting freedom of speech, unraveling the corporate capture of our regulatory agencies, getting the U.S. intelligence agencies out of the business of propagandizing and censoring and surveilling Americans, and interfering with our elections,” Kennedy stated.

The former Democratic candidate expressed his disillusionment with his party, saying, “The Democratic Party has departed so dramatically on the core values that I grew up with. It [has] become the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, big [agriculture], and big money.”

Kennedy further criticized the Democratic leadership for undermining democracy, accusing them of trying to keep third-party candidates off the ballot and attempting to imprison Trump. He claimed that the Democratic Party had staged a “coup against President Biden” by positioning Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor “without an election.”

Trump, in turn, praised Kennedy as “phenomenal” and “brilliant” during the rally in Glendale, Arizona, where he welcomed Kennedy onto the stage. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., also indicated that Kennedy could be a key figure in a future Trump administration.

Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump has shocked many, including his family. His sister, Kerry Kennedy, described the decision as a “betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear,” calling it “a sad ending to a sad story.”

Despite the backlash, Kennedy expressed certainty in his decision, saying, “I have the certainty that this is what I’m meant to do. And that certainty gives me internal peace, even in storms.”

Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, the star of HBO’s "Curb Your Enthusiasm," expressed her deep respect for his decision to suspend his campaign but did not comment on his endorsement of Trump.

Kennedy had initially sought the Democratic nomination to challenge President Joe Biden but later transitioned to an independent campaign after struggling to gain traction. His vice-presidential running mate, Nicole Shanahan, earlier hinted at the possibility of suspending the campaign and endorsing Trump, citing the Democratic Party’s attempts to sabotage their efforts.

Kennedy’s decision to support Trump underscores the complex dynamics of the 2024 race, where third-party candidates like Green Party nominee Jill Stein and People's Party nominee Cornel West have struggled to gain significant traction. With early voting set to begin in September, the political landscape continues to shift in unexpected ways.