Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed that his family members are welcome to disagree with his decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, after five relatives described the endorsement as “a betrayal.”

This independent candidate for the presidency has paused his campaign to support the Republican nominee as of Friday. RFK Jr. comes from a well-known political family, being the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

However, his family has often distanced themselves from his election bid and his prior promotion of conspiracy theories. His sister, Kerry Kennedy, released a statement along with four others from the family on X, previously known as Twitter, on Friday.

“Our brother Bobby’s choice to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold dear,” she stated. “This is a somber conclusion to a troubling narrative.”

During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” RFK Jr. mentioned that several family members are employed by President Joe Biden and consider him a friend. He noted that his family has historically been closely associated with the Democratic Party, illustrated by a bust of his father in the Oval Office.

“I recognize that they are upset with my choices,” he told Fox News’ Shannon Bream. “However, I believe we should be able to have differing opinions and still support one another.”

RFK Jr. expressed his gratitude to his wife Cheryl Hines for standing by him during his endorsement of Trump, despite her reservations about it.

“I am extremely thankful to my wonderful wife Cheryl for her unwavering love, despite her discomfort with my political choice,” he shared in a post on X. “I hope for the same unity for our country — love and togetherness even amidst disagreements. This will be essential in the future.”

In the Sunday interview, Kennedy confirmed that he also reached out to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver “for similar reasons” before endorsing Trump.

RFK Jr. clarified that Trump has not offered him a position in the cabinet if elected as a trade for his endorsement, but they have agreed to collaborate and he plans to actively rally for the Republican candidate.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at YSL News, concentrating on politics and education. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_