GLENDALE, Arizona — Former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard campaigned for Donald Trump in Arizona on Saturday, calling his party a “warmonger” and the “party of censorship.”
“Today it has become the party of war, it has become the party of surveillance, it has become the party of censorship,” Kennedy, 70, told a crowd at Arizona Christian University in Glendale.
“This is no longer the party I recognized.”
His remarks came less than a month after the heir to the Democratic dynasty suspended his bid to run as an independent and withdrew his presidential bid. Republicans endorse TrumpSrinivasan, 78, was shot at a Glendale rally, and faces court battles to have his name removed from the ballot in key swing states.
Trump will “end the epidemic of chronic disease … and make America healthy again,” Kennedy said to thunderous applause.
“We need to unite America,” he said.
“If we want to make America healthy again, if we want to make America great again, we have to unify this country.”
Gabbard, a veteran and former Hawaii representative who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, often mentioned in her comments that foreign policy was behind her decision to leave the party in 2022 and support Trump in this election.
She went on to refer to Democrats as an “elite gang” staffed with “war-mongers,” before saying, “How can I be associated with a party that stands for tyranny and war?”
Gabbard, 43, said the goal of the event and the “Reclaim America Tour” is “to tell the truth that this isn't about Democrats versus Republicans. This is about our country.”
“This is about us standing up for freedom. This is about us standing up for peace.”
Some Arizonans believe Kennedy could be instrumental in boosting Trump's chances in the state and across the country.
“I think some Democrats will come out in favor of Trump,” Peggy, a retiree from Peoria, told the Post at the event.
Meanwhile, the “Republicans for Harris” coalition remains a sticking point for the Democratic campaign in the Grand Canyon State, including organizing a debate watch party.
“During the debate, I was asked what I expected from Donald Trump that night. I said the American people have seen him for what he is, which is an unstable, morally reprehensible fear-monger,” said event host Olivia Troye, a former official in his administration.
“I think the best way for the Republican Party to move forward is we have to defeat this guy, and we have to defeat this movement.”
Trump and Harris, who faced off on ABC News Tuesday night, are deadlocked in the battle for Arizona’s 11 electoral votes. RealClearPolling The average indicated a 1.6% lead for Trump, and five thirty eight This also indicates that they will get a lead of 0.7%. It is possible that the election in the state will ultimately be decided by voters from within the party.
Republican and second-runner Doug Emhoff held dueling events in Tucson on Thursday, and Harris's running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, addressed an audience in Mesa, Arizona, ahead of the debate on Tuesday.
Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance Visited the Phoenix area earlier this month.
