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Kennedy's campaign said Wednesday he would address the nation on
Friday in Arizona, where he will talk about "the present
historical moment and his path forward."
Kennedy is planning to drop out of the election and endorse
Trump, but that hinges on whether the Republican offers Kennedy
"and others" a position in the White House if elected, Larry
Sharpe, outreach director with American Values 2024, told
Reuters.
Trump told CNN this week he would "certainly be open" to Kennedy
playing a role in his administration if the independent
candidate drops out of the race and endorses him.
Kennedy also wants Trump to allow his political movement to
continue in some fashion, which could include staying on the
ballot in some states, Sharpe said.
ABC News reported earlier on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources,
that Kennedy plans to drop out of the race by the end of the
week and endorse Trump.
Super PACs, or political action committees, can raise unlimited
amounts of money for candidates but are prohibited from
coordinating directly with the campaign. American Values has
raised over $50 million in support of Kennedy, according to
Federal Election Commission filings through June 30.
The Kennedy campaign declined to comment.
Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, told Los Angeles media
company Impact Theory on Tuesday that he was considering ending
his campaign to join forces with Trump.
Trump has previously sought Kennedy's support, a phone call
leaked to Reuters and other outlets in July showed. Shanahan in
the interview released on Tuesday said Trump had taken an
interest in their healthcare policies, making it worth exploring
"a unity party."
Kennedy, 70, the son of late Democratic politician Robert F.
Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy,
started his presidential campaign as a Democrat, challenging
President Joe Biden for the nomination.
An environmental advocate who has spread vaccine misinformation,
Kennedy has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states.
Kennedy's support stood at 4% in an Ipsos poll taken this month,
down from 10% the month before.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly and Jasper Ward; Editing by Eric
Beech, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis, Heather Timmons and Deepa
Babington)
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