PHOENIX — Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the Arizona race late Thursday, a day before he and Donald Trump were scheduled to appear miles apart in the Phoenix area, raising speculation that Kennedy might drop his independent bid for president and endorse the Republican candidate.
Kennedy’s campaign said he will speak in Phoenix at 2 pm ET “about our current historic moment and the path forward,” after Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale a few hours later.
Trump, campaigning in southern Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, said he had “no plans” for Kennedy to join him on Friday, but noted the two would likely be in the same city at the same time.
On Thursday night, the Trump campaign made an unusual announcement, hinting that a “special guest” would be attending the event in Glendale.
“I have no idea whether he’s going to support me or not,” Trump said of Kennedy during a call with Fox News Channel a few hours after the Democratic National Convention ended.
But he noted they are in the same state and said, “We may meet tomorrow and discuss it.”
A representative for the Trump campaign did not respond to messages about whether Kennedy would be a guest, and Kennedy’s campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on whether he would accompany Trump.
Kennedy’s Arizona withdrawal, confirmed by a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, came less than a week after he submitted far more signatures than were needed to appear on the ballot. Kennedy’s critics questioned the validity of some of the signatures because a pro-Kennedy super PAC was heavily involved in the collection, potentially violating rules banning coordination between candidates and independent political groups.
But on Thursday, Kennedy, his running mate Nicole Shanahan and all of their electors submitted notarized letters dated that day and withdrew from the race in the state.
A year ago, it would have seemed inconceivable that Mr. Kennedy, a member of one of Democratic politics’ most storied families, would work with Mr. Trump to keep a Democrat out of the White House. Even in recent months, Mr. Kennedy has accused Mr. Trump of betraying his supporters, and Mr. Trump has called Mr. Kennedy “the most radical left candidate in the race.”
But the two sides have exchanged praise and held behind-the-scenes talks in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the effort. Both sides have for months accused Democrats of co-opting the justice system for their own gain. And both have publicly signaled they might work together, with a shared goal of limiting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ chances of winning.
Last month, during the Republican National Convention, Kennedy’s son posted, then quickly deleted, a video of a phone call between Kennedy and Trump in which Trump was seen trying to persuade Kennedy to switch sides.
Talks between the two campaigns are continuing, with Trump aides quietly urging Kennedy to drop out of the race and support a Republican candidate, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Trump told CNN on Tuesday that he would “greatly welcome” Kennedy’s support, calling him a “fantastic guy,” and said he would “absolutely” be open to Kennedy playing a role in his administration if he were to drop out of the presidential race and support Trump.
On a podcast this week, Mr. Shanahan openly suggested his campaign could “step back right now and partner with Donald Trump.” He made it clear he was not in personal negotiations with Mr. Trump, but suggested Mr. Kennedy could join the Trump administration as secretary of Health and Human Services.
“I think it would be fantastic for Bobby to take that role,” Shanahan said. “I fully support it. I have high expectations.”
Mr. Kennedy, the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, did not give a reason for his comments Friday, which come as his campaign is on the wane.
Kennedy Jr. initially ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat, but left the party last fall to run as an independent. He has built an unusually strong base as a third-party candidate, supported by anti-establishment and vaccine skeptics who have followed his anti-vaccination activism since the COVID-19 pandemic began. But he has since faced a campaign finance crunch and a host of legal challenges, including a recent ruling by a New York judge that he should not appear on the state’s ballot because he provided a “fake” address on his nominating petition.
Recent polls have him with approval ratings in the mid-single digits, and it’s unclear whether he’ll even get those numbers in a general election, as third-party candidates often fail to live up to their early poll numbers once voters actually cast their ballots.
There’s also evidence that Kennedy’s continued campaign would hurt Trump more than Harris: Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to have a favorable view of Kennedy, according to a July AP-NORC poll. And those who have a favorable view of Kennedy are also significantly more likely to have a favorable view of Trump (52%) than Harris (37%).
Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler, in an interview with MSNBC at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday, said the campaign would welcome supporters of Kennedy, an independent candidate, if he were to drop out.
Tyler said the Kamala Harris campaign has a home for voters who see Trump as a threat and are looking for a new way forward, or who just want “government to stay out of their personal decisions.”
For Trump, Friday marks the end of a week-long tour of battleground states aimed at shifting attention away from Democrats who were in Chicago celebrating Harris’ nomination.
He visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona for events focused on policy proposals on the economy, crime and safety, national security and the border. He is scheduled to conclude the week with stops in Las Vegas and Glendale on Friday.
