RFK Jr To Drop Out of Race by End of Week, ABC News Reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to drop out of the race by the end of the week and is leaning towards endorsing Republican former president Donald Trump, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.

Kennedy's campaign announced earlier in the day that he would make an address to the nation on Friday in Arizona, where he will talk about "the present historical moment and his path forward."

An ABC News reporter said in a post on X that he asked Kennedy whether he would endorse Trump.

"I will not confirm or deny that," Kennedy said, according to the reporter. "We are not talking about any of that."

Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said on Tuesday that he was considering ending his campaign to join forces with Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president.

Trump told CNN 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, 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, Kennedy has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states.

Kennedy's support stood at 4 percent in an Ipsos poll taken this month, down from 10 percent the month before.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Eric Beech, Lisa Shumaker and Jonathan Oatis)

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