Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s suspending his presidential bid and backing Donald Trump

Jonathan J. Cooper, Ali Swenson and Gabriel Sandoval, Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent run for president Friday and endorsed Donald Trump, a late-stage shakeup of nan statesmanlike title that could springiness nan erstwhile president a humble boost from Kennedy’s supporters.

Kennedy said his soul polls had shown that his beingness successful nan title would wounded Trump and thief Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, though caller nationalist polls don’t supply a clear denotation that he is having an outsize effect connected support for either major-party candidate.

Kennedy cited free speech, nan warfare successful Ukraine and “a warfare connected our children” arsenic among nan reasons he would effort to region his sanction from nan ballot successful battleground states.

“These are nan main causes that persuaded maine to time off nan Democratic Party and tally arsenic an independent, and now to propulsion my support to President Trump,” Kennedy said.

However, he made clear that he wasn’t formally ending his bid and said his supporters could proceed to backmost him successful nan mostly of states wherever they are improbable to sway nan outcome. Kennedy took steps to retreat his candidacy successful astatine slightest 2 states precocious this week, Arizona and Pennsylvania, but successful nan battlegrounds of Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, predetermination officials said it’s excessively precocious for him to return his sanction disconnected nan ballot moreover if he wants to do so.

Kennedy said his actions followed conversations pinch Trump complete nan past fewer weeks. He formed their confederation arsenic “a unity party,” an statement that would “allow america to disagree publically and privately and seriously.”

Hours aft Kennedy made his announcement successful Phoenix, Trump was to clasp a rally successful neighboring Glendale. Trump’s run teased that he would beryllium joined by “a typical guest,” though neither run responded to messages astir whether Kennedy would beryllium that guest.

A twelvemonth ago, immoderate would person thought it inconceivable that a personnel of arguably nan astir storied family successful Democratic authorities would activity pinch Trump to support a Democrat retired of nan White House. Even successful caller months, Kennedy has accused Trump of betraying his followers, while Trump has criticized Kennedy arsenic “the astir extremist near campaigner successful nan race.”

Five of Kennedy’s family members issued a connection connected Friday calling his support for Trump “a sad ending to a sad story.”

“We want an America filled pinch dream and bound together by a shared imagination of a brighter future, a early defined by individual freedom, economical committedness and nationalist pride,” publication nan statement, which his sister Kerry Kennedy posted connected X. “We judge successful Harris and Walz. Our relative Bobby’s determination to endorse Trump coming is simply a betrayal of nan values that our begetter and our family clasp astir dear.”

Kennedy Jr., nan boy of nan precocious Attorney General and Sen. Robert Kennedy and nan nephew of President John F. Kennedy, acknowledged his determination had caused hostility pinch his contiguous family. He is joined to character Cheryl Hines.

“This determination is agonizing for maine because of nan difficulties it causes my woman and my children and my friends,” Kennedy said. “But I person nan certainty that this is what I’m meant to do. And that certainty gives maine soul peace, moreover successful storms.”

The Kennedy and Trump campaigns person ramped up their compliments of each different and engaged successful behind-the-scenes discussions successful caller weeks, according to those acquainted pinch nan efforts. Both campaigns person spent months accusing Democrats of weaponizing nan ineligible strategy for their ain benefit. And some person hinted publically that they could beryllium unfastened to joining forces, pinch nan shared extremity of limiting Harris’ chances.

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.

Talks betwixt nan 2 camps continued, pinch adjacent Trump friends softly lobbying Kennedy to driblet retired of nan title and support nan Republican nominee, according to a personification acquainted pinch nan efforts who said connected information of anonymity to talk backstage conversations.

Trump told CNN connected Tuesday that he would “love” an endorsement from Kennedy, whom he called a “brilliant guy.” He besides said he would “certainly” beryllium unfastened to Kennedy playing a domiciled successful his management if Kennedy dropped retired and endorsed him.

Kennedy’s moving mate, Nicole Shanahan, besides suggested connected a podcast this week that his run mightiness “walk distant correct now and subordinate forces pinch Donald Trump.” While she clarified that she is not personally successful talks pinch Trump, she entertained nan thought that Kennedy could subordinate Trump’s management arsenic caput of nan Department of Health and Human Services.

“I deliberation that Bobby successful a domiciled for illustration that would beryllium excellent,” Shanahan said. “I afloat support it. I person precocious hopes.”

Earlier Friday, Shanahan posted connected X that she isn’t a Kamala Democrat aliases a Trump Republican.

“I’m an INDEPENDENT American who is endorsing ideas, not a personification aliases a party,” she wrote. “I will proceed moving to springiness a sound to nan voiceless and bring powerfulness backmost to nan people.”

At Kennedy’s Phoenix event, 38-year-old Casey Westerman, a Chandler, Arizona, resident who useful successful package sales, said she trusted Kennedy’s judgement and had planned to ballot for him, but would support Trump if Kennedy said that was who he was endorsing.

“My determination would really beryllium based connected who he thinks is champion suited to tally this country,” said Westerman, who wore a “Kennedy 2024” trucker chapeau and voted for Trump successful nan past 2 statesmanlike elections.

Kennedy first entered nan 2024 statesmanlike title arsenic a Democrat but near nan statement past autumn to tally arsenic an independent. He built an unusually beardown guidelines for a third-party bid, fueled successful portion by anti-establishment voters and vaccine skeptics who person followed his anti-vaccine activity since nan COVID-19 pandemic. But he has since faced strained run finances and mounting ineligible challenges.

Recent polls put his support successful nan mid-single digits. And it’s unclear if he’d get moreover that successful a wide election, since third-party candidates often don’t unrecorded up to their early canvass numbers erstwhile voters really formed their ballots.

There’s immoderate grounds that Kennedy’s staying successful nan title would wounded Trump much than Harris. According to a July AP-NORC poll, Republicans were importantly much apt than Democrats to person a favorable position of Kennedy. And those pinch a affirmative belief of Kennedy were importantly much apt to besides person a favorable position of Trump (52%) than Harris (37%).