policy

PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew his vote in Arizona late Thursday, a day before he and Donald Trump were scheduled to campaign miles apart within the Phoenix area, amid growing speculation that Kennedy might abandon his independent presidential bid and support the Republican nominee.

Kennedy is scheduled to talk in Phoenix at 2 p.m. Eastern time “about the current historical moment and his path forward,” his campaign team said. A number of hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale.

Trump, who was campaigning in southern Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, said there have been “no plans” for Kennedy to look with him on Friday, but noted that they might be in the identical city at the identical time.

On Thursday evening, Trump's campaign team made an unusual announcement, announcing that there can be “a special guest” at his event in Glendale.

When Trump called Fox News a number of hours later after the top of the Democratic Party Convention, he said of Kennedy: “I have no idea whether he will support me.”

However, he noted that they might be in the identical state and said, “It is possible that we will meet tomorrow and talk about it.”

Representatives of the Trump campaign didn’t reply to messages asking whether Kennedy can be the guest, and the Kennedy campaign didn’t immediately reply to a message in search of comment on whether he would accompany Trump.

Kennedy's withdrawal in Arizona, confirmed by a spokesman for the secretary of state, got here lower than per week after Kennedy submitted way over the required variety of signatures to look on the ballot. His critics questioned the validity of among the signatures after a pro-Kennedy super PAC was heavily involved in his efforts to gather them, potentially violating rules on coordination between candidates and independent political groups.

But on Thursday, Kennedy, his running mate Nicole Shanahan and all of their electors submitted notarized letters dated the identical day withdrawing their candidacy for the state.

A 12 months ago, some would have thought it unthinkable that Kennedy – a member of probably the most famous family in Democratic politics – would work with Trump to maintain a Democrat out of the White House. In recent months, Kennedy accused Trump of betraying his supporters, while Trump criticized Kennedy as “the most radical left-wing candidate in the race.”

But the 2 campaigns have been complimenting one another more in recent weeks and holding behind-the-scenes talks, in response to people accustomed to the hassle. Both campaigns have accused Democrats for months of using the legal system to their very own advantage. And each have indicated publicly that they might be willing to hitch forces with the shared goal of reducing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris's probabilities of winning the election.

Last month, Kennedy's son released after which deleted a video through the Republican National Convention showing a phone call between Kennedy and Trump by which the previous president appears to be trying to influence Kennedy to hitch his side.

Talks between the 2 camps continued, with close Trump allies quietly pressuring Kennedy to drop out of the race and support the Republican candidate, in response to an individual accustomed to the hassle who spoke on condition of anonymity to debate private conversations.

Trump told CNN on Tuesday he would welcome an endorsement from Kennedy, whom he called a “brilliant guy.” He also said he would “certainly” be open to Kennedy playing a job in his administration if Kennedy drops out and endorses him.

Shanahan also openly hinted in a podcast this week that his campaign team could “stand down now and work with Donald Trump.” While she clarified that she just isn’t in talks with Trump personally, she is considering the opportunity of Kennedy joining Trump's administration as health secretary.

“I think Bobby would be excellent in that role,” Shanahan said. “I fully support it. I have high hopes.”

Kennedy, son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, didn’t disclose the rationale for his comments Friday, but they arrive at a time when his campaign's momentum has waned.

Kennedy Jr. initially entered the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat but left the party last fall to run as an independent. He built an unusually strong base for a third-party candidacy, fueled partially by anti-establishment voters and vaccine skeptics who’ve followed his anti-vaccine work because the COVID-19 pandemic. But since then he has faced tight campaign funds and mounting legal challenges, including a recent ruling by a New York judge that he shouldn’t appear on the ballot within the state because he listed a “fake address” on nomination petitions.

Recent polls put his support within the mid-single digits. And it's unclear whether he would even reach that level in a general election, since third-party candidates often fail to succeed in their initial poll numbers when voters actually solid their ballots.

There is a few evidence that Kennedy staying within the race would hurt Trump greater than Harris. According to a July AP-NORC poll, Republicans were significantly more more likely to have a good opinion of Kennedy than Democrats. And those that had a good impression of Kennedy were significantly more more likely to have a good opinion of Trump (52%) than of Harris (37%).

In an interview with MSNBC on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday, Harris' communications director Michael Tyler said her campaign team welcomes Kennedy voters if the independent candidate drops out.

Voters who see Trump as a threat, who’re on the lookout for a brand new path for the longer term, or who want “government not to interfere in their personal decisions are in good hands with Kamala Harris’ campaign,” Tyler said.

For Trump, Friday marks the top of per week of visits to swing states by which he tried to divert attention from the Democrats' celebrations of Harris' nomination as presidential candidate in Chicago.

He traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to attend events highlighting his policy proposals on the economy, crime and safety, national security and the border. He will end the week on Friday with stops in Las Vegas and Glendale.