Kennedy expected to end his campaign Friday, in talks to endorse Trump

CNN —

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to suspend his campaign on Friday at an event in Arizona, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.

There are current talks between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s team and Kennedy’s orbit for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at Trump’s Phoenix-area rally that same night, the source said.

CNN has reached out to the Kennedy campaign for comment.

Kennedy’s campaign announced earlier Wednesday that he will make a speech in Phoenix, saying he would “address the nation” Friday morning, but it did not share details of what he will be speaking about.

Kennedy’s speech will come days after his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said in a podcast interview on Tuesday that the campaign is considering whether to “join forces” with Trump to prevent the “risk” of Vice President Kamala Harris winning the election.

The Republican nominee on Tuesday expressed openness to Kennedy playing a role in a future administration should he drop out and offer his endorsement.

“He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time,” Trump told CNN’s Kristen Holmes. “I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly I’d be open to it.”

Discussions between Trump allies and advisers and Kennedy’s team began in the lead up to the Republican National Convention in July, prior to a leaked phone call between the former president and Kennedy that same month, a source familiar with the conversations told CNN.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had been pushing his father and the Trump campaign for weeks about finding a way to encourage