Posted originally on the CTH on August 29, 2024 | Sundance
RFK Jr did a solid interview with Dr. Phil that deserves some attention for a few reasons. The interview is about a week old and took place immediately following RFK’s announcement to exit.
First, BIG SMILE. Considering the timing, logistical coordination and location analysis of both Trump and RFK Jr’s interview with Dr Phil, CTH can now assert with assurance the rollout of the Kennedy dropout, transition, MAGA endorsement and subsequent public information therein, was in the works for a long time before it became public.
The Trump campaign had this RFK Jr MAGA entry in the works as part of the post DNC-Chicago strategy. Dr Phil was/is a planned and agreed participant in the rollout. The construct and the timeline also align with Corey Lewandowski rejoining the Trump campaign as a senior advisor shortly before the MAGA “unity” merge.
The fact that we can now see this as a long-planned and intentionally organized rollout operation is a good thing, a very good thing. That reality mitigates, but doesn’t eliminate, the IC influence concern.
Additionally, many within our community of CTH Treepers travel the deep weeds of political research, and our collective commentary is read by a wide swath of well-known political analysts and media pundits. The answers given by RFK Jr during the Dr Phil interview provide solid affirmation for positions we eventually took in prior discussions.
Second, within this specific segment, RFK Jr is talking about his decision to exit the race. Kennedy admits from the inception of his campaign he has always pulled more votes from Donald Trump (57%) than he did from the Democrat nominee (Biden or Harris). This is a point that was debated on these pages for quite some time; we can now put the argument away.
In the 2024 election, RFK Jr’s presence hurt President Trump more than Biden/Harris. This is just a datapoint: From the outset Kennedy always knew he was hurting Trump and assisting Biden/Harris through his candidacy. This is not to present anything controversial about his recent decision to exit and endorse Trump, nor is the highlight intended to diminish RFK Jr., this reality is simply just a datapoint to consider. RFK Jr always knew he was hurting President Trump more than helping Joe Biden (or Kamala).
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Third, if you have followed the Trump campaign and family closely, you will note the MAGA issue of chronic childhood disease; as it relates to the issue “Make America Healthy Again” being at the forefront of President Donald Trump’s thinking as a policy initiative; comes from one place, Melania Trump. President Donald Trump did not have an epiphany on an issue close to the heart of RFK Jr., Melania Trump has been quietly focused on the issues around childhood illnesses and environmental impacts for a long time. With the First Lady as the strong counsellor of record that truly matters, it makes sense for a positive, personal influence.
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If you have time to watch the full interview below, it is well worth the investment. IF you need to shorten it, the first 10 minutes hold the majority of the points that matter. Remember, this interview was one of the first done in the aftermath of RFK Jr suspending his campaign [8/23/24].
The only negative to this interview is the fact that it took place before RFK Jr told Tucker Carlson that President Trump was “reprehensible.”
However, I can somewhat understand how a prideful person like RFK Jr would psychologically be in that mindset, given the inbound hatred Kennedy encountered during the timeframe before the Carlson interview. Indeed, the “reprehensible” comment should be considered a projection statement, a shout into the storm per se’, said more in exasperation and frustration than spite.
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