RFK Jr. to speak Friday amid speculation he’ll drop independent presidential bid and support Trump

Jonathan J. Cooper and Ali Swenson, Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Independent statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak Friday “about nan coming humanities infinitesimal and his way forward,” his run announced Wednesday, fueling increasing speculation that Kennedy could driblet retired and support Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Kennedy’s moving mate openly discussed nan anticipation connected a podcast this week, saying nan run was considering a move to “join forces” pinch Trump to limit nan predetermination chance of Kamala Harris, whose Democratic normal winds up Thursday nighttime successful Chicago.

The move would person erstwhile seemed unthinkable for Kennedy, a Democrat for astir of his life and — arsenic nan nephew of President John F. Kennedy and nan boy of Robert F. Kennedy — a personnel of a beloved Democratic dynasty.

Last month, during nan Republican National Convention, Kennedy’s boy posted and past quickly deleted a video showing a telephone telephone betwixt Kennedy and Trump, successful which nan erstwhile president appeared to effort to talk Kennedy into siding pinch him.

Kennedy will springiness a reside successful Phoenix, hours earlier Trump is scheduled to clasp a rally successful neighboring Glendale. A spokesperson for Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, declined to opportunity whether he planned to driblet retired aliases why he chose Arizona for his speech.

After leaving nan Democratic superior to tally arsenic an independent, Kennedy built an unusually beardown guidelines of support for personification moving without nan backing of a awesome party. It was unclear precisely wherever his support was coming from, which worried Republicans and Democrats alike.

But since President Joe Biden ended his re-election run and Democrats coalesced astir Vice President Harris arsenic their nominee, Kennedy’s emergence has been stunted. It looks progressively improbable that he will beryllium capable to make nan statement shape erstwhile Trump and Harris look disconnected adjacent month, a infinitesimal Kennedy counted connected for momentum and legitimacy. His run finances person besides been strained.

The news comes a small complete a week since a New York judge ruled that Kennedy should not look connected nan ballot successful nan authorities because he listed a “sham” reside connected nominating petitions. Kennedy has appealed, but has faced respective akin challenges astir nan country.

On Wednesday, he was successful a courtroom successful nan suburbs of New York City waiting to attest successful consequence to different ballot suit successful nan state, this 1 backed by nan Democratic National Committee, that challenges nan signatures collected by his campaign.

He’s besides facing a apt ineligible situation successful Arizona, wherever past week he submitted signatures that whitethorn person been collected by a ace PAC that supports him, which Kennedy’s critics opportunity is forbidden coordination betwixt a campaigner and an independent governmental group.

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Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writer Cedar Attanasio contributed from Mineola, New York.