Robert F Kennedy Jr announces independent bid for president - latest
Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced he will end his run for the White House as a Democrat and instead become an independent 2024 presidential candidate.
“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for President of the United States,” the anti-vaxxer scion of America’s most famous political family said on 9 October.
“But that’s not all, I’m here to join you and make a new Declaration of Independence for our entire nation,” Mr Kennedy added. “We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government.”
Mr Kennedy originally positioned himself to run against Joe Biden, but the Democratic National Committee is not holding debates and is fully supporting the president’s run for a second term in the Oval Office.
With just two Democrats running, and President Joe Biden assumed the party’s nominee, a large group of Republican hopefuls have begun theirs bid to run against the incumbent.
This includes ex-president Donald Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, ex-vice president Mike Pence, ex-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, ex-Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, and ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
Key Points
RFK Jr ends Democratic bid for White House and will run as independent
19:31 , Graeme Massie, Mike Bedigan
Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced he will end his run for the White House as a Democrat and instead become an independent 2024 presidential candidate.
“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for President of the United States,” the anti-vaxxer scion of America’s most famous political family said on Monday.
“But that’s not all, I’m here to join you and make a new Declaration of Independence for our entire nation,” Mr Kennedy added. “We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government.”
Mr Kennedy originally positioned himself to run against Joe Biden, but the Democratic National Committee is not holding debates and is fully supporting the president’s run for a second term in the Oval Office.
Mr Kennedy made the official announcement at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, with campaign signs reading “Declare your Independence”.
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Asa Hutchinson wishes Francis Suarez well
Wednesday 30 August 2023 02:30 , Ariana Baio
After Francis Suarez ended his campaign for president, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson bid him farewell.
“It was an honor to get to know @FrancisSuarez on the presidential campaign trail. He has a great story to tell and he has been a dynamic Mayor of Miami. I look forward to seeing big things for him in the future,” Mr Hutchinson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It was an honor to get to know @FrancisSuarez on the presidential campaign trail. He has a great story to tell and he has been a dynamic Mayor of Miami. I look forward to seeing big things for him in the future.
— Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) August 29, 2023
How long was Francis Suarez’ campaign?
Wednesday 30 August 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio
Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami dropped out of the Republican presidential race on 29 August a little more than two months after he announced his bid for the White House on 14 June.
In total, Mr Suarez’s campaign lasted 76 days.
Who is running for president in 2024?
Tuesday 29 August 2023 21:05 , Ariana Baio
As campaigns begin to take shape, here are the important name to know.
Francis Suarez becomes first Republican to drop out of 2024 primary
Tuesday 29 August 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio
The 2024 Republican field has officially shrunk by one.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez officially suspended his campaign on Tuesday after failing to make last week’s debate in Milwaukee, the first matchup of the GOP candidates onstage. His suspension came a day after an NBC News report detailed two sharp dropoffs in campaign spending following the announcement of Mr Suarez’s exclusion from the debate and the subsequent event itself.
“While I have decided to suspend my campaign for President, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains,” Mr Suarez said in a lengthy statement released on Twitter.
John Bowden reports:
Francis Suarez becomes first Republican to drop out of 2024 primary
Francis Suarez announces he is suspending his campaign
Tuesday 29 August 2023 18:26 , Ariana Baio
Running for President of the United States has been one of the greatest honors of my life. This country has given so much to my family and me. The prospect of giving back at the highest levels of public service is a motivator if not a calling. Throughout this process, I have met…
— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) August 29, 2023
Watch: Francis Suarez hints he would drop out of 2024 race if he doesn't meet the minimum threshold
Tuesday 29 August 2023 01:00 , Ariana Baio
Has Francis Suarez silently quit the Republican presidential race?
Monday 28 August 2023 22:20 , Ariana Baio
NBC News first reported on Monday that the campaign of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has gone dark, both in terms of messaging and money spent, since last week’s GOP primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The second-youngest candidate in the race at 45, Mr Suarez had sought to build a brand as a representative of a new generation of Republican leadership.
John Bowden reports:
Has Francis Suarez silently quit the Republican presidential race?
Tim Scott defends Trump in latest indictment
Thursday 17 August 2023 04:00 , Ariana Baio
While attending the Iowa State Fair on Monday, South Carolina senator and 2024 presidential candidate Tim Scott defended Donald Trump’s latest indictment after being confronted about it by a reporter.
“I’m just going to continue to say it as I see it, which is that we’ve seen the legal system being weaponised against political opponents,” Mr Scott said.
“That is un-American and unacceptable.
Tim Scott responds to the latest Trump indictment: “we’ve seen the legal system being weaponized against political opponents, that is un-American and unacceptable.”
He says he heard the Georgia call but won’t answer @alivitali if he would make the same ask for votes as prez. pic.twitter.com/sqTrGhhzJc— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) August 15, 2023
Who has qualified for the first GOP debate?
Thursday 17 August 2023 02:45 , Ariana Baio
Eight Republican presidential candidates have met the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) new criteria to participate in the first GOP debate on 23 August.
Former president Donald Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina senator Tim Scott and North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and former vice president Mike Pence have all qualified.
All eight candidates have had at least 40,000 unique donors from 20+ states and/or territories contribute to their campaigns and maintained at least one per cent in two national polls and two early state polls.
