Washington, Aug 22 (EFE).- Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will announce the end of his campaign at an event in Arizona on Friday, according to several U.S. media outlets that say he is negotiating a move to join the ranks of former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
“There are ongoing discussions between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s team and Kennedy’s entourage for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at Trump’s rally in the Phoenix (Arizona) area that same night (Friday),” a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
The New York Times also echoed Kennedy’s alleged plans to announce the end of his campaign for the presidential elections on November 5, saying that he was doing so due to a shortage of funds and because he was losing support among voters.
Kennedy’s campaign said only that the independent candidate “will address the nation” from Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, without giving details about the content of that message.
According to a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month, Kennedy’s voting intention then stood at 5%, compared with 47% for Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be the Democratic nominee, and 44% for Republican Trump.
The son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated, Robert Kennedy Jr., 70, announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential primary in April 2023, challenging President Joe Biden, who was then seeking re-election but later dropped out in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
But in October of last year he left the party and ran as an independent for the White House.
Sources consulted by CNN said that discussions between Trump’s allies and advisers and Kennedy’s team began before the Republican National Convention, held in July.
“I like him and I respect him,” the former US president (2017-2021) told CNN on Tuesday about Kennedy, whom he also referred to as an “intelligent” man whom he has known “for a long time.”
Trump said in an interview in Michigan, where he traveled as part of his election campaign, that he was unaware that Kennedy was considering withdrawing her candidacy for the presidency but reiterated that if she does so, he is “certainly” open to considering her joining his administration, should he win the election.
Trump’s comment came after Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, indicated on a podcast Tuesday that Kennedy’s campaign is considering dropping out of the White House race to “join forces” with Trump against Democratic candidate and U.S. vice president Kamala Harris.
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2024-08-23 15:02:18
