RFK Jr. suspends campaign, plans work with Trump

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday said he would pull his name from ballots in battleground states. He committed to work with former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, on issues where they have the same views. He spoke at length about public health, and the Russia-Ukraine war as issues where he and Trump have common ground.

Kennedy said polling showed he would likely hand over many of the battleground states to the Democratic Party if he continued his campaign efforts. He said he could not abide that possibility, given his deep-seated opposition to many aspects of his former party. His campaign was already working on pulling his name off the ballots in those battleground states, Kennedy said in the speech, given from Phoenix.

Kennedy did not list the states in his speech. On Thursday, Kennedy’s campaign filed paperwork to withdraw from the ballot in Arizona, according to a social media post by the Arizona Secretary of State. Just minutes before his speech on Friday, the Associated Press reported that Kennedy also asked Pennsylvania to remove his name from that state’s ballots.

So he is endorsing Trump, or is he not? Kennedy indicated Friday that he was entering into an alliance with Trump’s campaign that would allow him and the former president to disagree both publicly and privately. But they could also support each other on issues where they saw eye-to-eye, Kennedy said. He would likely take a position in Trump’s administration if Trump won reelection, Kennedy said.

Why is Kennedy so opposed to the Democratic Party? Kennedy criticized how the Democratic Party primary had been conducted. He also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, saying that she had dodged media interviews and had not detailed clear policy positions. The party reduced the idea of democracy to little more than a pretty slogan, Kennedy said.

What does Trump have to say about this? Trump told Fox News on Thursday he would be honored by Kennedy’s endorsement. Trump’s campaign on Thursday said that a surprise special guest would speak at its rally at 6 p.m. ET on Friday in Glendale, outside Phoenix. Many speculated Kennedy would be that guest. Trump’s campaign said the guest would discuss America-first policies, a vision for lowering inflation, and a plan for securing the southern border, the campaign said. The rally will also feature appearances by former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and Republicans’ Arizona U.S. Senate nominee Kari Lake.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report about the controversies surrounding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.