PHOENIX — PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the Arizona ballot late Thursday night, a day before he and Donald Trump were expected to appear miles apart in the Phoenix area as speculation grows that Kennedy could abandon his independent bid for president and endorse the Republican candidate.
Kennedy will speak at 2 p.m. Eastern Time in Phoenix “about the current historic moment and his path forward,” his campaign said. Trump will hold a rally in nearby Glendale a few hours later.
Trump, campaign Thursday in southern Arizona at the U.S.-Mexico border, said “no plans have been made” for Kennedy to appear with him on Friday. But he noted they would be in the same city at the same time.
On Thursday night, Trump’s campaign made an unusual announcement, suggesting he would be accompanied by “a special guest” at his event in Glendale.
Hours later, calling Fox News Channel after the Democratic National Convention, Trump said of Kennedy, “I have no idea if he’s going to support me.”
But he noted that they would be in the same state and said, “It is possible that we will meet tomorrow and discuss it.”
Trump campaign representatives did not respond to messages asking if Kennedy would be a guest. Kennedy’s campaign also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he would join Trump.
Kennedy’s withdrawal from Arizona, confirmed by a spokesman for the secretary of state, came less than a week after Kennedy submitted far more signatures than the number required to appear on the ballot. His critics raised questions about the validity of some of the signatures after a pro-Kennedy super PAC became heavily involved in his effort to collect them, possibly violating rules against coordination between candidates and independent political groups.
A year ago, some would have found it unthinkable that Kennedy — a member of the most storied family in Democratic politics — would work with Trump to keep a Democrat out of the White House. Even in recent months, Kennedy has accused Trump of betraying his followers, while Trump has criticized Kennedy as “the most radical left-wing candidate in the race.”
But the two campaigns have stepped up their compliments to each other and have sparred behind the scenes in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the efforts. Both campaigns have spent months accusing Democrats of weaponizing the justice system for their own benefit. And both have publicly hinted that they would be open to working together, with the shared goal of hurting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s chances.
Last month, during the Republican National Convention, Kennedy’s son posted, then quickly deleted, a video of a phone conversation between Kennedy and Trump. The video appeared to show the former president trying to persuade Kennedy to take his side.
Talks between the two sides have continued, with Trump allies quietly lobbying Kennedy to withdraw from the race and support the Republican nominee, according to a person familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Trump told CNN on Tuesday that he would “love” an endorsement from Kennedy, whom he called a “brilliant guy.” He also said he would “certainly” be open to a role Kennedy would play in his administration if Kennedy steps down and supports him.
Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, also openly suggested in a podcast this week that his campaign “could stop right now and join forces with Donald Trump.” While she made it clear that she is not personally in talks with Trump, she did entertain the idea of Kennedy joining Trump’s administration as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I think Bobby would be excellent in that role,” Shanahan said. “I fully support it. I have high expectations.”
Kennedy, son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, did not disclose the reason for his comments Friday, but their comments come as his campaign momentum has waned.
Kennedy Jr. first ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat but left the party last fall to run as an independent. He built an unusually strong base for a third-party bid, fueled in part by anti-establishment voters and vaccine skeptics who have followed his anti-vaccine work since the COVID-19 pandemic. But he has since faced strained campaign finances and mounting legal challenges, including a recent ruling by a New York judge that he cannot appear on the state ballot because he provided a “fake address” on nominating petitions.
Recent polls his support is in the mid-single digits. And it’s unclear whether he would even get that in a general election, as third-party candidates often do not reach the polls they did in the early stages when voters actually cast their ballots.
There is some evidence that it would hurt Trump more if Kennedy stayed in the race than Harris. According to a July AP-NORC poll, Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. And those with a favorable impression of Kennedy were significantly more likely to also have a favorable opinion of Trump (52%) than Harris (37%).
In an interview with MSNBC during the Democratic National Party Convention in Chicago on Thursday, Harris’ communications director Michael Tyler said her campaign would welcome Kennedy voters if the independent candidate withdraws.
For voters who see Trump as a threat, who are looking for a new path forward, or who want “government to stay out of their own personal decisions, there is a home for you in the Kamala Harris campaign,” Tyler said.
For Trump, Friday will mark the end of a week of state visits, during which he has tried to distract from the Democratic presidential nomination celebrations Harris’ presidential nomination in Chicago.
He traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona for events focused on his policy proposals on the economy, crime and safety, national security and the border. He wraps up the week Friday with stops in Las Vegas and Glendale.
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Associated Press reporters Jill Colvin in New York, Michelle L. Price in Phoenix, Meg Kinnard in Chicago and Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.
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