Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Expected To End Presidential Bid This Week: Reports

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to end his campaign for president, several outlets reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with Kennedy’s plans — spelling a likely end for the anti-vaccine activist and Kennedy family scion’s longshot bid for the White House.

Kennedy’s campaign said in an email Wednesday afternoon that he would “address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward.” The campaign did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on several reports that Kennedy would be dropping out.

ABC News reported that Kennedy would end his presidential bid by the end of the week, citing unnamed “sources familiar with the decision.” Within a couple of hours, other outlets had matched the report: CNN reported Kennedy would suspend his campaign at an event in Arizona on Friday, citing “a source familiar,” and NBC News similarly reported he intended to end his campaign, citing two sources familiar with the plans.

The stories differed slightly on whether Kennedy plans to endorse Donald Trump; multiple reports said an endorsement was likely, but stressed that talks between the campaigns were ongoing.

Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, previously expressed concern about running “the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump.” Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee, has for weeks been making apparent overtures toward Kennedy, perhaps wary of the independent candidate’s impact on his own chances in November, and Kennedy has reportedly spoken with Trump about endorsing him and potentially joining a second Trump administration.

Kennedy’s outreach to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign this month, on the other