
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the poll in Arizona late Thursday, a day earlier than he and Donald Trump had been set to look miles aside within the Phoenix space as hypothesis grows that Kennedy may drop his unbiased presidential bid and endorse the Republican nominee.
Kennedy is scheduled to talk at 2 p.m. Japanese time in Phoenix “concerning the current historic second and his path ahead,” in accordance with his marketing campaign. Hours later, Trump will maintain a rally in neighboring Glendale.
Trump, campaigning Thursday in southern Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border, stated that “no plans have been made” for Kennedy to look with him on Friday. However he famous they’d be in the identical metropolis on the similar time.
On Thursday night, Trump’s marketing campaign made an uncommon announcement, teasing that he could be joined by “a particular visitor” at his Glendale occasion.
Hours later when he known as into Fox Information Channel after the Democratic Nationwide Conference wrapped, Trump stated of Kennedy, “I don’t know if he’s going to endorse me.”
However he famous that they had been going to be in the identical state and stated, “It’s doable we can be assembly tomorrow and we’ll be discussing it.”
Representatives for Trump’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to messages about whether or not Kennedy could be the visitor and the Kennedy marketing campaign didn’t instantly return a message looking for remark if he could be becoming a member of Trump.
Kennedy’s Arizona withdrawal, confirmed by a spokesperson for the secretary of state, got here lower than every week after Kennedy submitted effectively greater than the required variety of signatures to look on the poll. His critics raised questions concerning the validity of a few of the signatures after a pro-Kennedy tremendous PAC was closely concerned in his effort to gather them, doubtlessly operating afoul of guidelines towards coordination between candidates and unbiased political teams.
However on Thursday, Kennedy, his operating mate, Nicole Shanahan and all of their electors submitted notarized letters dated that day, withdrawing from the race within the state.
A yr in the past, some would have thought it inconceivable that Kennedy — a member of essentially the most storied household in Democratic politics — would work with Trump to maintain a Democrat out of the White Home. Even in latest months, Kennedy has accused Trump of betraying his followers, whereas Trump has criticized Kennedy as “essentially the most radical left candidate within the race.”
However the two campaigns have ramped up their compliments to one another and engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions in latest weeks, in accordance with these accustomed to the efforts. Each campaigns have spent months accusing Democrats of weaponizing the authorized system for their very own profit. And each have hinted publicly that they could possibly be open to becoming a member of forces, with the shared aim of limiting the election possibilities of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Final month, through the Republican Nationwide Conference, Kennedy’s son posted after which rapidly deleted a video exhibiting a cellphone name between Kennedy and Trump, during which the previous president appeared to attempt to discuss Kennedy into siding with him.
Talks between the 2 camps have continued, with shut Trump allies quietly lobbying Kennedy to drop out of the race and help the Republican nominee, in accordance with an individual accustomed to the efforts who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate personal conversations.
In a speech overlaying every thing from a latest assassination try towards him to his marketing campaign platform and political grievances, former President Donald Trump spoke for 93 minutes on the Republican Nationwide Conference on Thursday night time, breaking his personal earlier document from the 2016 conference by almost 20 minutes.
Trump informed CNN on Tuesday that he would “love” an endorsement from Kennedy, whom he known as a “good man.” He additionally stated he would “definitely” be open to Kennedy enjoying a task in his administration if Kennedy drops out and endorses him.
Shanahan, additionally overtly instructed on a podcast this week that his marketing campaign would possibly “stroll away proper now and be part of forces with Donald Trump.” Whereas she clarified that she just isn’t personally in talks with Trump, she entertained the concept Kennedy may be part of Trump’s administration as secretary of the Division of Well being and Human Providers.
“I believe that Bobby in a task like that will be glorious,” Shanahan stated. “I totally help it. I’ve excessive hopes.”
Kennedy, a son of former Lawyer Normal Robert F. Kennedy and a nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, hasn’t disclosed the rationale for his Friday remarks, however they arrive as his marketing campaign’s momentum has slipped.
Kennedy Jr. first entered the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat however left the occasion final fall to run as an unbiased. He constructed an unusually robust base for a third-party bid, fueled partly by anti-establishment voters and vaccine skeptics who’ve adopted his anti-vaccine work because the COVID-19 pandemic. However he has since confronted strained marketing campaign funds and mounting authorized challenges, together with a latest ruling from a New York choose that he shouldn’t seem on the poll within the state as a result of he listed a “sham” deal with on nominating petitions.
Latest polls put his help within the mid-single digits. And it is unclear if he’d get even that in a normal election, since third-party candidates often don’t stay as much as their early ballot numbers when voters truly forged their ballots.
There’s some proof that Kennedy’s staying within the race would harm Trump greater than Harris. In line with a July AP-NORC ballot, Republicans had been considerably extra possible than Democrats to have a positive view of Kennedy. And people with a constructive impression of Kennedy had been considerably extra prone to even have a positive view of Trump (52%) than Harris (37%).
In an interview with MSNBC on the Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago on Thursday, Harris communications director Michael Tyler stated her marketing campaign welcomes Kennedy voters ought to the unbiased candidate drop out.
For voters who see Trump as a risk, who’re in search of a brand new method ahead, or who need “authorities to get the hell out of the best way of their very own private selections, there is a dwelling for you in Kamala Harris’ marketing campaign,” Tyler stated.
For Trump, Friday will mark the top of every week’s value of battleground state visits during which he has sought to attract consideration away from Democrats’ celebration of Harris’ presidential nomination in Chicago.
He traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona’s U.S.-Mexico border for occasions targeted on his coverage proposals on the economic system, crime and security, nationwide safety and the border. He’ll shut out the week Friday with stops in Las Vegas and Glendale.
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Related Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Michelle L. Worth in Phoenix, Meg Kinnard in Chicago and Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.