Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s family blasted his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, arguing it’s a “betrayal” of the Kennedy legacy.

Mr. Kennedy on Friday announced he was suspending his independent campaign to back Mr. Trump and was removing his name from the ballot in swing states while still staying on as an option for voters in deep red and blue states. 

Shortly after his announcement, his siblings, who have long been critical of Mr. Kennedy’s policies and bid for the White House, argued that his decision to back the GOP nominee went against everything his father, Robert F. Kennedy, believed. 

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“We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride,” wrote Kerry Kennedy in a statement signed by four of Mr. Kennedy’s siblings. “We believe in Harris and Walz. Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”

Kerry Kennedy, who leads the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, wrote the statement alongside Courtney Kennedy, Christopher Kennedy, Rory Kennedy and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. 

Mr. Kennedy said he was dropping out to work with Mr. Trump to combat chronic disease and end the Ukraine war, two key reasons he launched his bid for the White House.

The son of the former attorney general and senator spent much of his speech decrying the media for not giving him enough coverage and the Democrats for waging an aggressive campaign to keep him off the ballot. 

“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control,” he said Friday. “So I cannot in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House.”

Mr. Kennedy will remain on the ballot in over 20 states. 

Mr. Kennedy, who is also the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, spent decades championing liberal causes related to the environment and corporate abuses. His crusade against vaccines gained popularity on the right amid resistance to COVID-era mandates.

That stance drew heavy criticism from his family, which denounced his anti-vaccine sentiment before he launched his bid for the White House. Mr. Kennedy’s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, also decried his uncle’s decision. 

“Never been less surprised in my life. Been saying it for over a year — RFK Jr. is for sale, works for Trump,” he said on X. “Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier.”