Kennedy argued he didn’t leave the Democrat Party, but rather that “it had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with” that it left him and other traditional Democrats like him.
“It has become the party of war, censorship, corruption, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Ag and big money,” he declared.
Just the News’ John Solomon noted: “With that political indictment, Kennedy opened an unprecedented political door for defection. And standing at the threshold are two other celebrity defectors:” Musk and Gabbard, the latter of whom is reportedly helping Trump prepare for his Sept. 10 debate against Harris.
Even Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, echoed something similar, writing on X that “We may disagree with RFK Jr. about many things, but he’s right about how the Democratic Party uses lawfare and dirty tricks to suppress democratic competition and voter choice. The Dems preach about ‘saving democracy,’ but in reality they’re working overtime to stamp it out.”
Solomon added:
Senior Trump aides and outside advisers have been buoyed by the the once-unimaginable possibilities that:
- Musk would lend his massive X social platform for an historic interview and fund a Super PAC to boost Trump;
- Gabbard would help prep the GOP nominee for his debate with Kamala Harris and make a case for women to return to the GOP; and
- Kennedy would lend his famous family name and political capital to lure defectors, especially the young and first-time voters who flocked to his independent campaign
“We now have a trio of Power Rangers who can swoop right into the middle of the rival party and convince traditional Democrats that it’s OK to leave a party that left them,” one senior Trump adviser, who asked to remain anonymous, told Solomon.
Advisers praised Trump for putting aside past grievances—despite Musk running a rival to Trump’s Truth Social platform and Kennedy criticizing Trump during his campaign—and for reaching out behind the scenes to court prominent Democrats.
Similarly, Trump made the effort to reconcile with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, putting aside four years of animosity with the influential governor, who wields significant political power in a key battleground state.
Experts say having a trio of high-profile former Democrats at his disposal opens up new strategic possibilities for the former president who is seeking a second term, Solomon noted.
“I think that the Trump people should package Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr. together, and they would — as joint former Democrat witnesses about the corruption of the system — be devastating,” former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., told Just the News.
He also praised Trump for making amends with Kemp.
“Look, Brian Kemp is far and away the strongest politician in Georgia. He’s been a remarkably effective governor, and the fact that he’s now, you know, all in is an enormous step in the right direction,” he explained. “And frankly, the fact that Trump has relaxed and accepted that having him as an ally really matters is very, very healthy, and I think it just dramatically improved the likelihood that we will carry Georgia,” Gingrich added.