RFK Jr. officially withdraws from Arizona ballot – ahead of speech on his ‘path forward’ and rumored endorsement of Donald Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially filed papers withdrawing from the Arizona presidential race, a day before he is set to discuss his “path forward.”
In the clearest sign yet that Kennedy will abandon his hopeless bid for the White House, a spokesman for Arizona’s secretary of state said Thursday that the independent candidate has withdrawn from the state’s presidential race.
The move came despite the fact that Kennedy had collected nearly three times as many signatures as required to appear on the Arizona ballot. However, some have questioned their legitimacy, as the signatures were reportedly collected by a super PAC.
Kennedy’s campaign has not announced that he is withdrawing, but they have announced that he will give a speech in Arizona on Friday, where he will discuss “the current historic moment and its path forward.”
Amid rumors that Kennedy will endorse Donald Trump, the former president’s campaign team has announced that he will host a “special guest” at a rally on Friday, also taking place in Arizona.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially filed papers to withdraw from the Arizona presidential race amid rumors he will withdraw from the election on Friday
Kennedy’s expected withdrawal from the presidential race follows a tumultuous period surrounding his candidacy, during which he made a bizarre admission that he was responsible for the body of a dead bear found in Central Park in 2014.
Kennedy has reportedly been in talks with Trump’s campaign in recent weeks, but sources told the New York Times this week that no decision has yet been made on approval.
Kennedy’s decision to withdraw from Arizona, however, was not due to a lack of support. On Friday, officials reported that he had submitted 118,000 signatures to qualify for the Arizona election.
Aaron Thacker, a spokesman for the Arizona secretary of state’s office, said election workers “had been working all weekend to verify (Kennedy’s) signatures.”
βHe only needed 42,000, and he got over 118,000,β Thacker added.
Kennedy is said to have been in talks with Donald Trump’s campaign about a recommendation
According to the Times, these signatures would have been problematic if Kennedy’s campaign had continued to verify his place on the ballot, and would have landed him in legal trouble.
Sources told the newspaper that the signatures were collected by a super PAC supporting RFK Jr.’s candidacy, and not by his campaign itself.
This could violate federal campaign laws that limit coordination between campaigns and outside organizations, potentially triggering a wave of legal challenges.
At a campaign rally in Arizona, on the southern border, Donald Trump said Thursday he was open to Kennedy’s support, calling the opportunity a “great honor.”