Goodbye RFKJr – it’s been bad to know you!

..but he remains a threat to children everywhere.

So, the lamentable RFK Jr has thrown in the towel, no longer believing he can win the race to the White house. That he ever did is a testament to his poor judgement or his well-established ability to manipulate the truth to seek self-aggrandisement. Likely both. Unsurprisingly to many like me who doubted his integrity, he has now fully embraced Trump.

Poor me syndrome

Ever the martyr, he stated the decision might be hard on his wife and kids, but he needs to make the sacrifice to suspend his campaign “even if there is a small chance of saving these kids”.

Hideously, he goes on: “The most unifying theme for all Americans is that we all love our children. If we all unite around that issue now, we can finally give them the protection, the health, and the future they deserve.”

Make sense of that verbal candyfloss if you can. He will now go back to what defines his life, making it harder for children to be protected against infections disease. It is not only me who he makes feel sick.

He’s now a Trumpist

He has thrown his weight behind Trump though will still, amusingly, incompetently, remain on the ballot in several states as it is too late to remove his name. Hence “suspending” rather than “ending” his campaign.

Trump must believe that this will be to his benefit. It is likely many RFK Jr supporters, given his persecution complex, rabid anti-science and history of anti-vaccination, would not have voted for Biden or Harris. In a tight election it may well matter.

During a recent (and rather one-sided) phone call, Trump promised: “I would love you to do stuff,” and “I think it would be so good for you, and we’re going to win.”

Anti-environmentalism

That he would consider such an offer is a betrayal for those who see him as an environmentalist. RFK Jr’s clean water campaigning in the past is not on the Trump crib sheet. Indeed, under a Trump administration environmental regulation will be slashed - indeed the EPA might even be abolished or stuffed with Trump supporters.

What will he gain from this? Perhaps he has given way to Trumps vague bribes to give him influence and power. He would wield this power to reduce vaccination in children, increase rates of measles and other infectious illnesses, which will lead to misery, complications, and potentially death for children. Its unthinkable that any serious science of health professional would be able to work with him.

Hope

The only hope is that Trump in not a man of his word, and if in power will forget all about RFK Jr. No more phone calls. This may well be the case.

Yet the danger of an empowered RFK Jr makes this makes the US election even more compelling. I hope a Harris victory will send him back to the lunatic fringe of society where he belongs. If Trumps wins, and he gives RFK Jr any significant role in health or science, it will be one giant lead backwards for Americans, and have deadly echoes around the world.