Robert F Kennedy Jr to drop US presidential bid, back Trump, reports say | US Election 2024 News

Independent candidate is scheduled to give a speech about ‘path forward’ in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is planning to drop his bid to become the next president of the United States and endorse Republican Party nominee Donald Trump, US media has reported.

Kennedy, the third child of liberal icon Robert F Kennedy, is considering announcing the end of his campaign during an appearance with Trump in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The reports in The New York Times, CNN, ABC News and NBC News come after Kennedy’s campaign announced earlier on Wednesday that he would give a speech in Phoenix about “the present historical moment and his path forward”.

Kennedy, who initially ran for the Democratic Party nomination before going independent, could boost Trump’s chances in November’s election if he drops out, especially in battleground states that were won by razor-thin margins in 2016 and 2020.

Opinion polls have consistently shown Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and longtime vaccine sceptic, drawing more support from Trump than the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

In an NBC News poll in July, 33 percent of registered Republican voters expressed a positive view of the Kennedy scion, compared with just 15 percent of registered Democrats and independents.

While Kennedy never looked likely to challenge Harris or Trump for the White House, his campaign attracted double-digit support in polling at its peak before dropping to about 5 percent in recent weeks.

In an interview on the Impact Theory podcast earlier this week, Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan said that he was considering withdrawing from the race as staying in would “risk” a Harris victory.

In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Trump said he would be open to appointing Kennedy to a cabinet role if elected.

“I like him, and I respect him,” Trump said. “He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time.”