Why Robert F Kennedy will still face Trump despite endorsing him – Times of India

Robert F Kennedy Jr suffered a setback as he planned to withdraw his nomination from Michigan, a key swing state following a Michigan judge ruled that he must remain on the state’s presidential ballot for the upcoming elections.
He had earlier filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in Michigan’s Court of Claims on Friday in a bid to withdraw his name as the state’s election officials denied Kennedy’s withdrawal notice.
Benson in a post on X said that under Michigan law, candidates who are nominated and accept a minor party’s nomination “shall not be permitted to withdraw.”

Meanwhile, Kennedy in his lawsuit, said that he submitted the withdrawal notice on time and that the electorate’s votes could be “diminished and rendered invalid” if his name remains on the ballot.
However, Judge Christopher P Yates of the Michigan Court of Claims said that the secretary of state had appropriately rejected Kennedy’s request to be removed from the ballot.
“Elections are not just games, and the Secretary of State (SOS) is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office,” Yates said in his order.
Kennedy suspended his presidential bid and endorsed former President Donald Trump. He has since then been trying to remove his name from the ballot in states like Michigan, where a close contest is expected. He is also seeking to stay on the ballot in states where his presence is unlikely to impact the outcome.
Earlier, he filed a similar lawsuit in North Carolina on Friday, seeking to remove his name from the ballot there. Last week, election officials in Wisconsin also ruled that Kennedy must remain on the ballot, rejecting his request to withdraw.
In a separate case, another Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled last week that liberal independent presidential candidate Cornel West must also remain on the ballot, a decision welcomed by West’s campaign.
Both Kennedy and West, notable third-party candidates, find themselves in the middle of various legal and political disputes nationwide as Democrats and Republicans attempt to leverage the impact of third-party candidates who could potentially siphon votes from their opponents.
In several battleground states, such as Arizona and Michigan, Republican allies have sought to keep West on the ballot, while Democrats worry that he might draw votes away from Vice President Kamala Harris.