On Aug. 23, Bobby Kennedy Jr. announced to the nation that he was suspending his presidential campaign in most of the states in which he was running, and endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential pick, JD Vance.
He made it official with an appearance with Trump at a rally in Arizona the same day.
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RFK Jr. hasn’t stopped sharing his vision of America’s future, although that has of course shifted to what he seeks to do as part of a potential Trump/Vance administration. This week, he began releasing a series of short, inspiring videos via social media about that vision, with “Make America Healthy Again.” or #MAHA emblazoned on them–the slogan that his vice presidential pick, Nicole Shanahan, said was chosen by MAGA supporters of the former president (start video at 1:31):
Nicole Shanahan: “I was completely misinformed about what MAGA is”
“The coming together of these two groups over the last week … has been really glorious.
And they gave us the name MAHA, Make America Healthy Again.
That was always the vision of this unity movement, this… pic.twitter.com/Dxo8TyGTGF
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) August 29, 2024
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On Wednesday, Kennedy shared the first video, which echoes what he expressed recently during his interview with Dr. Phil, on Trump and Vance’s vision for the country–one that could be seen as a throwback to a different era with respect for supporting families, values, and prosperity through hard work and a can-do spirit; these are things that many people yearn for during a time when prospects look bleak for many Americans because of Bidenomics and Kamala Harris’ continuing negligence:
This country is made up of a hundred different kinds of people and a hundred different ways of talking and a hundred different ways of going to church, but they are all American ways. pic.twitter.com/8E8NzU3EeI
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 27, 2024
The X post reads:
This country is made up of a hundred different kinds of people and a hundred different ways of talking and a hundred different ways of going to church, but they are all American ways.
Partly using voiceovers from notable people from the past, the first ad talks about what it means to be an American, in other words, how does an American treat other Americans? And he doesn’t skimp here, going for well-known heavy hitters in our culture.
It starts with a very young Frank Sinatra, who was a close friend of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, speaking in 1946 about the people who make up the melting pot that is America:
He continues:
Wouldn’t we be silly if we went around hating people because they comb their hair different than [sic] ours?
That’s accompanied, in a lighthearted way, by a clip of Trump smoothing his famous mane.
Then there’s RFK, Bobby Jr.’s father, and the closing words of a speech he gave, “On the mindless menace of violence,” in Cleveland on Apr. 5, 1968. This was just moments before he was assassinated, while exiting through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel, by Sirhan Sirhan.
He said:
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
You can read the full speech here.
RFK Jr. closes out the ad with a clip of him speaking about the “unique opportunity” we have today to “diffuse those tensions,” by seeing within others and ourselves, that which is not selfish….but brave and generous and idealistic, and has good intentions.” The ad ends with a bookend clip of Sinatra.
But, a new one on Thursday features his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, talking on a topic that’s close to RFK Jr.’s heart–his hopes to make America healthier.
JFK was dedicated to making Americans the healthiest people on earth. Now, RFK Jr. Is making that his mission.#MAHA pic.twitter.com/oCOzbdllrL
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 29, 2024
As the post reads:
JFK was dedicated to making Americans the healthiest people on earth. Now, RFK Jr. Is making that his mission.
#MAHA
The video starts with RFJ Jr. encouraging viewers to watch (or rewatch) Pres. Kennedy’s speeches from 1960, on a subject he said his uncle was “distressed” by–Americans’ “physical fitness.” Between the clips, Bobby Kennedy Jr. rattles off a slew of startling, but unsurprising statistics on the downfall of our health, even compared to the ’60s.He ends by saying:
This was one of the reasons, the key reasons, that I ran for president: To end this chronic disease epidemic, and to restore Americans to good health.
The ad finishes with similar words from the late president. It’s encouraging to see a national conversation happening about the problems we have with obesity and other severe illnesses in our country. Hopefully, this is a conversation that will continue–whatever happens in November.
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