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Kennedy, who was already struggling to reach double digits in the polls, suffered another significant setback after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July. As his numbers continued to decline, running mate Nicole Shanahan began openly considering the possibility of dropping out and aligning with former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris. This expected move was further indicated on Thursday when news broke that Kennedy had withdrawn from the Arizona ballot.
Much of Kennedy’s campaign had been marked by battles with Democratic lawyers to secure a spot on every state ballot. The Washington Examiner reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for comment. According to ABC News, which cited sources familiar with his decision, Kennedy plans to exit the presidential race by the end of the week.
Kennedy’s announcement regarding his campaign’s future is set to take place in Phoenix, with event details indicating that the address will only be provided to registered members of the press. Trump is also scheduled to hold a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on the same day.
In an interview with CNN’s Kristen Holmes on Tuesday, Trump was asked about Shanahan’s recent comments.
“Well, we haven’t, but I’d love that endorsement,” he responded when asked whether he had considered Kennedy for a role in his administration. “You’re asking me a very unusual question. I haven’t been asked that question yet,” Trump said, smiling when pressed on the matter. “I like him. I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that were to happen. He’s a very different kind of guy — a very smart guy. And, yeah, I would be honored by that endorsement, certainly.”
Such an endorsement would eliminate the third-party threat to the GOP and could shift momentum back in Trump’s favor after the Democrats’ transition to Harris caught him off guard.
