Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed paperwork withdrawing from the race in Arizona, according to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The move comes as Kennedy is set to make a public address at 2 PM EST on Friday, with many expecting he will withdraw from the race and endorse former President Donald J. Trump.
RFK Jr. has said the Democrats under Kamala Harris and Joe Biden would be “unrecognizable” to his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and father, Robert ‘Bobby’ Kennedy Sr. Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, recently said the campaign is considering two options: “one is staying in, forming that new party. But we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Waltz presidency because we draw votes from Trump. Or, we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump and explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”
A leaked call between Kennedy and Trump following Trump’s near-assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, shows the former president discussing the possibility of Kennedy joining a restored Trump administration, possibly with a role investigating vaccine safety.
“He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time,” Trump said on the possibility of Kennedy joining forces with him on Tuesday. “I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly, I’d be open to it,” he added.
Kennedy also praised Trump for reaching out to him, noting this is more than the Democrats, his former party, have done in 18 months.