Independent US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy jnr is expected to drop out of the race by the end of the week and endorse Republican former president Donald Trump, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
Mr Kennedy’s campaign announced earlier in the day that he would make an address to the nation on Friday in Arizona, where he will talk about “the present historical moment and his path forward.”
An ABC News reporter said in a post on X that he asked Mr Kennedy whether he would endorse Mr Trump.
“I will not confirm or deny that,” Mr Kennedy said, according to the reporter. “We are not talking about any of that.”
Mr Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said on Tuesday that he was considering ending his campaign to join forces with Mr Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president.
Mr Kennedy was in a Long Island court on Wednesday fending off an attempt backed by the Democratic Party to block him from New York’s ballot for a second time
Mr Trump told CNN he would “certainly be open” to Mr Kennedy playing a role in his administration if the independent candidate drops out of the race and endorses him.
Mr Kennedy (70), the son of late Democratic politician Robert F Kennedy and nephew of the late president John F Kennedy, started his presidential campaign as a Democrat, challenging President Joe Biden for the nomination.
An environmental advocate who has spread vaccine misinformation, Mr Kennedy has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states.
His support stood at 4 per cent in an Ipsos poll taken this month, down from 10 per cent the month before. – Reuters
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024