By The Opinion
22 Aug 2024, 00:42 AM EDT
The independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he will address the nation on the way forward in his campaign for the 2024 elections next Friday in Arizona.
Kennedy Jr.’s announcement comes as there appear to be advanced discussions with former President Donald Trump and his campaign about dropping out of the race and supporting the Republican nominee, people familiar with the matter have told multiple outlets.
The decision to drop out of the campaign will put an end to the candidacy of a third major party in the electoral contest.
Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he will give a campaign speech in which she will discuss “her path forward,” days after her running mate said the campaign was faced with the choice of staying in the race or abandoning the campaign to support Trump.
The Kennedy campaign announced that The event will take place in Phoenix on FridayTrump, meanwhile, also plans to hold an event Friday night in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix.
Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan said Tuesday that the ticket is weighing two options. One is to stay in the race and “take a chance” on a Harris-Walz presidency, as she put it in a podcast interview, while the other is to drop out of the race and “join forces” with Trump.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, said in an interview Wednesday that “There has been a lot of communication back and forth” between Kennedy and his campaign.
“I haven’t spoken to RFK personally, but I know there’s been a lot of communication back and forth between RFK, between the campaign, between this campaign,” Vance said.
“Look, our argument to RFK — and I’m going to make it right now, because of course he hasn’t stepped down yet — is: If you want a Democratic Party that protects American workers and stands for strong borders, perhaps disagreeing with Republicans on issues like tax policy, that party no longer exists,” Vance continued.
Trump told CNN on Tuesday that he would be open to Kennedy joining his administration if elected. Asked if he would consider putting Kennedy in the administration if he endorsed him and won, Trump said, “I probably would.” He added, “I like him a lot. I respect him a lot.”
Kennedy’s effort to gain access to ballots in all 50 states also hit a snag. He was recently disqualified from the ballot in New York state when a judge ruled that the home address used on petitions for signatures was not his place of residence.
Continue reading:
• Judge denies Kennedy Jr. access to ballot in New York for lying
• At any time, Kennedy Jr. could resign from his campaign to favor Trump
• Trump said he would consider appointing Kennedy Jr. to his administration