After facing lawfare from Democrats in multiple states, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly considering dropping out of the race in his upcoming address to the nation on Friday.
In a post on X, Kennedy campaign press secretary Stefanie Spear announced that her boss plans to “address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward.”
Independent Presidential Candidate @RobertKennedyJr will address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward. 🇺🇸https://t.co/i8gVV96xYW
— Stefanie Spear (@StefanieSpear) August 21, 2024
Kennedy’s speech is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET in Phoenix, Arizona.
This address comes after Democrats have repeatedly tried to use lawfare to remove Kennedy from the ballot, with their efforts succeeding in New York. As many commentators have noted, the lawfare from supposedly “pro-democracy” Democrats has shown how scared they are of the potential for Kennedy to siphon away votes from the deeply unpopular installed Democrat presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kim Iverson blasts Democrats for trying to get RFK Jr. off the New York Ballot this week:
“There’s a possibility he's kicked off that ballot because a Democratic super PAC supporting now Kamala Harris is extremely undemocratic, and won't just let the best man/woman win when it… pic.twitter.com/Mcs802RAbj
— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) August 7, 2024
Even though Kennedy vowed to appeal the New York judge’s ruling, many are speculating that he will be dropping out of the race on Friday and endorsing former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy’s running mate, attorney Nicole Shanahan, confirmed that he was considering the option earlier this week.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Waltz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump,” she said. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump and explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”
Kennedy has told ABC that he will “not confirm or deny” the reports about his plans.
Meanwhile, a reporter questioned Trump about reports that Kennedy planned to endorse him, asking whether Trump plans to give Kennedy a position in his administration if he withdraws from the race and endorses him.
“He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time,” Trump said of Kennedy. “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.”
Trump confirmed that he would “love” an endorsement from Kennedy, as he has “always liked” him, and suggested that he “probably would” give him a position in his administration.
“I like him a lot. I respect him a lot,” he added. “I probably would, if something like that would happen. He’s a very different kind of a guy — a very smart guy. And, yeah, I would be honored by that endorsement, certainly.”
