RFK Jr. is set to speak Friday, fueling speculation he may drop out and endorse Trump

PHOENIX — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will deliver a speech Friday “about this historic moment and his path forward,” his campaign announced Wednesday, fueling growing speculation that Kennedy might drop out and endorse the Republican Party nominee. Donald Trump.

Kennedy’s vice presidential candidate openly discussed the possibility on a podcast this week, saying the campaign is considering “joining forces” with Trump to hurt his chances of winning the election. Kamala Harriswhose Democratic convention will end Thursday evening in Chicago.

Such a move would once have seemed unthinkable for Kennedy, who has been a Democrat for most of his life and — as the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy — a member of the beloved Democratic dynasty.

Last month, during the Republican National Convention, Kennedy’s son posted, then quickly deleted, a recording of a phone call between Kennedy and Trump in which the former president apparently tried to convince Kennedy to side with him.

Kennedy will deliver a speech in Phoenix, hours before Trump plans to hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. Kennedy spokeswoman Stefanie Spear declined to say whether he planned to withdraw from the speech or why he chose Arizona as the venue.

Trump and Kennedy have remained in regular contact in recent weeks, even meeting in Milwaukee when Republicans gathered for their national convention last month.

He told CNN on Tuesday that he would “be thrilled” to endorse an independent candidate, whom he called “a brilliant guy.”

He also said he would “certainly” be open to Kennedy playing some role in his administration if Kennedy would withdraw and support him.

“He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time,” Trump told the station. “I didn’t know he was thinking about leaving, but if he was thinking about leaving, I’d certainly be open to that.”

Trump, who has previously sharply criticized Kennedy, calling him “the most radical left-wing candidate in the race,” was also asked by CNN whether he would consider appointing Kennedy to a position in his administration if he won in November,

“I like him a lot. I respect him a lot,” Trump said. “I probably would respect him if something like that happened. He’s a completely different type of guy — a very intelligent guy. And yes, I would be honored to have that endorsement, certainly.”

After leaving the Democratic primary to run as an independent, Kennedy had built an unusually powerful base of support for someone running without a major-party endorsement. It was unclear exactly where his support was coming from, which worried Republicans and Democrats alike.

But since President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and Democrats coalesced around Vice President Harris as their running mate, Kennedy’s rise has been stunted. It seems increasingly unlikely that he will be able to debate Trump and Harris next month, a moment Kennedy had been banking on to bring momentum and legitimacy. His campaign finances have also been strained.

This news came a little over a week ago a New York judge ruled that Kennedy should not appear on the state’s ballot because he provided a “fictitious” address on his nominating petitions. Kennedy appealed, but faced several similar challenges throughout the country.

He testified in a suburban New York court on Wednesday in connection with another election lawsuit in the state, this time backed by the Democratic National Committee, that challenges signatures collected by his campaign.

During a break in the hearing, Kennedy declined to answer reporters’ questions about whether he would withdraw from the trial.

He is also likely to face a legal challenge in Arizona, where he last week submitted signatures that may have been collected by a super PAC supporting him, which Kennedy’s critics say constitutes illegal coordination between the candidate and an independent political group.