Kennedy is withdrawing from the ballot in battleground states.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Aug. 23 that he’s suspending his campaign and throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump.
“In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control,” Kennedy said in a speech from Phoenix, Arizona.
“So I cannot, in good conscience, ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours, or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House.”
Kennedy, 70, later said that he was supporting Trump, citing their alignment on key issues.
The announcement came amid rising speculation about the future of the campaign after his running mate said earlier this week they were looking at possibly dropping out and endorsing Trump.
Kennedy has seen a dip in the polls in recent months, with many showing support for him consistently in the single digits. His campaign is also facing financial troubles. On Wednesday, Kennedy’s principal campaign committee, Team Kennedy, told the Federal Election Commission it ended July with about $3.9 million in cash on hand and about $3.5 million in debts and obligations.
The remarks came after The Epoch Times obtained a court filing from the Kennedy campaign that referenced a forthcoming “endorsement of Donald Trump for the office of President of the United States.”
The document was filed in a case challenging whether Kennedy should be on the November ballot in Pennsylvania and was published ahead of the address Kennedy delivered. Campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear later told The Epoch Times that Kennedy was not endorsing the former president.
Withdrawing From Battleground Ballots
Kennedy said in the speech that he was withdrawing his name from ballots in battleground states “where my presence would be a spoiler.”
He urged voters in those states not to vote for him, given his suspended campaign.
At the same time, Kennedy said his name would remain on ballots in the rest of the states and that voters could pick him over Trump, 78, and Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, if they live in those states.
“If you live in a blue state, you can vote for me without harming or helping President Trump or Vice President Harris. In red states, the same will apply,” he said.
Kennedy had been running as an independent presidential candidate after initially launching a 2024 bid as a Democrat.
By Zachary Stieber and Jeff Louderback
