RFK Jr.’s Siblings Call Trump Endorsement a ‘Betrayal’ of Their Dad’s Values: ‘A Sad Ending to a Sad Story’

Moments after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent presidential bid and endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump, members of his famous Democratic family weighed in with words of disappointment.

In a scathing joint statement released on Friday, Aug. 23, five of Bobby's siblings — who are all children of the late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy — publicly distanced themselves from his decision to join forces with Trump less than one year after leaving the Democratic Party.

"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," the statement reads. "We believe in [Kamala] Harris and [Tim] 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," the statement concludes.

Posted on social media by Kerry Kennedy, the statement is also signed by siblings Kathleen, Courtney, Chris and Rory.

In Bobby's campaign suspension speech, he announced that he would be joining forces with Trump in an effort to keep the Democratic Party from winning the White House in November. He claimed that his father and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy — both prominent Democrats who helped establish the Kennedy political dynasty — would be disappointed to see where the party has gone.

Kerry, who manages RFK's legacy as the president of his human rights organization, has routinely disagreed with Bobby's take on what their father would want, denouncing his conspiracy theory–fueled statements about COVID-19, vaccines and Jewish people.

When Bobby, an anti-vaccine activist, switched his party from Democratic to independent in October 2023 in order to run for president on a third-party ticket, his siblings similarly spoke out against the campaign.

"Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment," the statement read. "Today's announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country."

After announcing his endorsement of Trump on Aug. 23, Bobby implied that others in his personal life will be disappointed by the decision.

"This decision is agonizing for me because of the difficulties it causes my wife and my children and my friends," he said, "but I have the certainty that this is what I’m meant to do, and that certainty gives me internal peace even in storms."

Trump spoke to the media from a restaurant during Bobby's withdrawal speech, saying, "I want to thank Bobby. That was very nice."