Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s speech endorsing Donald Trump and his subsequent appearance at Trump’s political rally in Arizona solidify a fundamental transformation of the November election.

The problem for Democrats moving forward is that substance is not on their side. Party leaders are familiar with wielding power through targeted propaganda disseminated through allies in the mass media. But, beyond smoke and mirrors, the party is nothing more than an institution void of any purpose other than the pursuit of power.

Now, when assessing their options in the upcoming elections, the passion and persona of RFK Jr. will be etched into the American consciousness. Kennedy’s endorsement lends credence to an idea central to Trump’s political longevity: that the Democrat party is an existential threat to the American way of life. 

Can America survive four more years of Democrat rule? Many Americans, RJK Jr. among them, believe the answer is no. The grounds for this belief stems from the centralized power in government agencies, media, education, and health that all coalesce around the interests and ideology of the Democrat party. 

Compassion or control?

Kennedy’s support for Trump comes at the intersection of genuine compassion, prudence, and courage. He “agonized” over his decision to endorse Trump, and his body language, tone of voice, and general demeanor supported this assertion. Unlike Kamala Harris, his remarks were not words carefully crafted by a staffer and delivered through a teleprompter after an effortless blitz of media support.

While Kennedy eloquently and compassionately spoke of the need to assist children increasingly burdened with numerous chronic illnesses derived from poor quality nutrition, the Democrat party celebrated the “fundamental” right to control children through abortion. 

The DNC featured a Planned Parenthood abortion van providing free medication abortions, a celebratory speech from Kate Cox, a mother who promoted her decision to abort her disabled child, and numerous orators glorifying abortion as a human right. Oprah declared that, without the ability to abort children, “there is no American dream.”

Throughout the convention, the nation was reminded that the Democrat party is fundamentally built on the belief that children are expendable and should be discarded when their interests conflict with the ambitions, pleasure, or desires of their mothers. It should come as no surprise that the plight of chronically ill children is not a top Democrat policy concern.

The Democrat party’s discourse surrounding freedom revolves around sexual autonomy and the pursuit of individual pleasure. The party of COVID lockdowns and mandatory vaccines understandably struggles to convince the public it holds a principled stance on individual rights.

And this philosophy stands in stark contrast to Kennedy’s compassionate concern for the future of America's children. 

Instead of chanting empty slogans, Kennedy speaks as someone with skin in the game. This comes not only from his family legacy, but because he has spent decades focusing on the issues he now champions. He has expressed concerns regarding the quality of U.S. food production, the widespread use of toxins, and environmental concerns for his entire career.

Kennedy’s political beliefs and stances on issues have also cost him socially, leading to ridicule and scorn. Many would have caved under the pressure of social mockery and familial rejection. This presents a compelling public testimony. In a media landscape driven by unprincipled pursuit of power, Kennedy is a breath of fresh air, bringing the public a tangible example of someone willing to place his love of people over devotion to partisan politics.

Corruption or Reform?

Kennedy did not offer a glowing endorsement of Trump, instead focusing on making a decision most likely to lead to the possibility of positive reform, a possibility he believes to be foreclosed under Democrat party power.

In so doing, he has destroyed the Democrat party’s attempt to make the election about Trump’s character alone. Instead, the battle has now been reframed as an existential struggle between corruption and reform.

Reform under a Democrat administration is impossible because of the corrupt ties between the DNC and other institutions. Kennedy opined that four more years of Democrat rule would complete the convergence of Democrat party, corporate, and economic power. This centralized power, unchallenged in the media, represents an existential threat to the nation’s ability to protect and defend the interests of the vulnerable, particularly children.

Trump will undoubtedly benefit from having Kennedy’s public support and testimony attached to his campaign, not only because it humanizes his efforts to access the oval office, but because it bolsters his claim of Democrat party controlled government corruption.

In his speech, Kennedy spoke of many themes that resonate with Trump supporters and a larger swath of the American electorate, including the anti-democratic tools used by the Democrat party to maintain power. From lawfare, intentional gaming of their party nomination process, and a refusal to engage in the typical press conferences and debates that characterize honest, fair election procedures traditionally seen in free societies.

Furthermore, this move sucked the energy from Kamala Harris’s acceptance of her party’s nomination at the DNC, and forced the party -- and their media allies -- to refocus messaging efforts to attack Kennedy in addition to Trump. 

This messaging is already underway with the Atlantic’s release of a piece accusing RFK Jr. of dealing cocaine in college, the narrative that Kennedy has “betrayed” his family name, and the DNC’s characterization of Kennedy as “acting out of desperation,” as a MAGA adjacent candidate. Any threat to the Harris campaign, the party argues, is “neutralized.”

But, in a tight race, Kennedy could make all the difference. While Kennedy polled higher against Biden than Harris, even a small boost of support in battleground states could swing the election to Trump.

As the public becomes increasingly cynical about the trustworthy nature of American media and institutions, the credibility of a figure like RFK Jr. brings more to the Trump campaign than Democrats would like to admit.

Leslie Corbly, author of Silent Suffering: Poems of Pain and Purpose, is an author, poet, and attorney. Her debut poetry collection critiques the predicates of progressive/postmodern beliefs by exploring the suffering of those who fall on the margins of the present era’s culturally dominant moral philosophies.

Image: Gage Skidmore