Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the ballot in Arizona, signaling the likely end of his campaign ahead of a Friday event in the state.
Kennedy, already failing to reach double digits, took another major polling hit after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July. Amid his fledgling numbers, running mate Nicole Shanahan began openly flirting with the prospect of dropping out and joining forces with former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris. The expected dropout was further signaled by news on Thursday that Kennedy had withdrawn from the Arizona ballot.
Much of Kennedy’s campaign had been characterized by a struggle against Democratic lawyers to earn a spot on every state ballot.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for comment.
Kennedy plans to drop out of the presidential race by the end of the week, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with his decision.
Kennedy’s announcement about his campaign’s future will take place in Phoenix. Details for the event noted the address would only be provided to registered members of the press. Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on the same day.
In an interview with CNN’s Kristen Holmes on Tuesday, Trump was asked about Shanahan’s recent comments.
“Well, we haven’t, but I’d love that endorsement,” he responded when asked whether he had considered Kennedy for a role in his administration.
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“You’re asking me a very unusual question. I haven’t been asked that question yet,” Trump said, smiling when pressed on the question. “I like him. I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that were to happen. He’s a very different kind of guy — a very smart guy. And, yeah, I would be honored by that endorsement, certainly.”
The endorsement would eliminate the third-party threat to the GOP and could push momentum back in Trump’s favor after being caught off guard by the Democrats’ transition to Harris.
