Trump vows to release JFK assassination docs as RFK Jr. makes rally debut hours after endorsing GOP nominee
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made his first appearance at a rally for former President Donald Trump Friday hours after ending his campaign and endorsing the Republican nominee.
Trump, 78, described the 70-year-old scion of the Kennedy political dynasty as an “incredible champion” for American values and a “highly respected” and “great person” before bringing him out as a surprise guest at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
“Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!” Trump supporters in the packed arena chanted as he walked out on stage.
“For the past 16 months, Bobby has run an extraordinary campaign,” Trump said.
“I know because he went after me a couple of times — I didn’t like it.”
“His candidacy has inspired millions and millions of Americans, raised critical issues that have been too long ignored in this country and brought together people from across the political spectrum in a positive campaign grounded in the American values of his father, Robert Kennedy, a great man, and his uncle, President John F Kennedy,” the former president continued.
“And I know that they are looking down right now, and they are very, very proud of Bobby. I’m proud of Bobby.”
“One of the issues that he talked about was having safe food and ending the chronic disease epidemic,” the Democrat-turned-independent said.
Kennedy explained that in his initial conversations with Trump – after the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., — the two discussed “not the things that separate us, because we don’t agree on everything, but on the values and the issues” they share.
“Don’t you want healthy children? And don’t you want the chemicals out of our food? And don’t you want the regulatory agencies to be free from corporate corruption? And that’s what President Trump told me that he wanted,” Kennedy revealed.
“Don’t you want a president that’s going to make America healthy again?” he asked the raucous crowd.
Kennedy also touted Trump’s vows to keep the US out of foreign wars, end censorship and protect “America’s freedoms” from “totalitarianism.”
After Kennedy’s brief remarks, Trump predicted that his former rival would have a “huge influence” on his campaign — “much bigger than you’d see in the polls.”
“Bobby and I will fight together to defeat the corrupt political establishment and return control of this country to the people. And all who supported Bobby’s campaign, I very simply ask you join us in building this coalition,” Trump said.
Kennedy bowed out of the 2024 race earlier on Friday and decried the Democratic Party for holding a “sham primary” and installing Vice President Kamala Harris “without an election.”
He called the decision to suspend his campaign and back Trump “agonizing,” in his hour-long speech in Phoenix, during which Kennedy also rattled off several grim medical statistics and seemingly expressed interest in a role as Health and Human Services secretary under Trump.
The 45th president slammed the “Harris-Biden administration” for denying Kennedy — who lost his father, the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, former President John. F Kennedy, to assassinations and faced numerous death threats during his campaign — Secret Service protection until after the Butler, Pa., rally shooting.
As a “tribute” to RFK, Trump announced that if elected he would establish a commission on assassination attempts that would release all federal records related to JFK’s murder.
“They will also conduct a rigorous review of the attack last month,” Trump noted. “But I tell you, I have never had more people ask me, ‘Please, sir, release the documents on the Kennedy assassination,’ and we’re going to do that.”
Trump also repeated his pledge to establish a panel of “top experts working with Bobby” that would investigate the cause of a “decades-long increase in chronic health problems and childhood diseases.”
“We want every child in America to grow up and to live a long and healthy life,” the GOP nominee declared.
‘Joining like wildfire’
Before bringing Kennedy on stage with him, Trump described his political movement as being “welcoming” to Democrats.
“Our movement is not about Democrat versus Republican,” he said. “It’s about patriotism and common sense.”
“That’s why we’re welcoming support for millions and millions of disaffected Democrats,” Trump claimed. “And they are joining like wildfire now.”
“We’re welcoming the support from millions of disaffected Democrats, independents, moderates, old fashioned liberals who still believe in things like little things like borders.”
Several Trump fans at the rally told The Post that they were supportive of the ex-president’s olive branch to Kennedy and the potential of having the environmental lawyer in Trump’s cabinet.
Brett Munroe, who works in sales in Scottsdale, described the Kennedy endorsement as “amazing” and “awesome” and he was eager to see the ex-Democrat “work alongside” Trump.
“I believe his policies along with Trump’s policies, a lot of them align and I think they can come to fair ground,” Munroe told The Post, noting that he wouldn’t be surprised if the two pols “headbutt on some couple things.”
Jason Marshall, a retired veteran from Phoenix, indicated that he was pleased Trump welcomed Kennedy into the fold.
“You know, the more the merrier. Anything that will help us, man, we just don’t want what we’ve had for the past four [years],” Marshall said.
“We’ll take whatever we can get.”
Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern told the Post that he expects Kennedy’s endorsement to bring a big boost to the Trump campaign.
“We’re going to win this thing,” Kern said.
“That 5-8% is going to help Trump,” he added, referencing Kennedy’s recent polling numbers as an independent.
