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RFK Jr. apologies for leaked video of call with Trump
Robert F. Kennedy apologized to former President Donald Trump after a video of their phone call on Monday was leaked. Political analyst Brian Sobel breaks it down with LiveNOW's Andy Mac.
null - Independent presidential candidate RFK Jr. is reportedly planning on abandoning his bid for the White House and supporting former President Donald Trump, according to multiple reports.
Kennedy is expected to make the announcement by the end of this week, sources told ABC News and NBC News.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Libertarian National Convention on May 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
RFK Jr. reportedly plans to endorse Trump
Kennedy's running mate openly discussed the possibility of Kennedy’s exit on a podcast this week, saying the campaign was considering a move to "join forces" with Trump to limit the election chance of Kamala Harris, whose Democratic convention winds up Thursday night in Chicago.
The move would have once seemed unthinkable for Kennedy, a Democrat for most of his life and — as the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy — a member of a beloved Democratic dynasty.
Last month, during the Republican National Convention, Kennedy's son posted and then quickly deleted a video showing a phone call between Kennedy and Donald Trump, in which the former president appeared to try to talk Kennedy into siding with him.
RFK Jr. to speak in Arizona on Friday
Kennedy will give a speech in Phoenix, hours before Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. A spokesperson for Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, declined to say whether he planned to drop out or why he chose Arizona for his speech.
RFK Jr.’s presidential run so far
After leaving the Democratic primary to run as an independent, Kennedy built an unusually strong base of support for someone running without the backing of a major party. It was unclear exactly where his support was coming from, which worried Republicans and Democrats alike.
But since President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and Democrats coalesced around Vice President Harris as their nominee, Kennedy's rise has been stunted. It looks increasingly unlikely that he will be able to make the debate stage when Trump and Harris face off next month, a moment Kennedy counted on for momentum and legitimacy. His campaign finances have also been strained.
RFK Jr.’s legal battles
A little over a week ago, a New York Judge ruled that Kennedy shouldn’t appear on the ballet in the state because he listed a "sham" address on nominating petitions. Kennedy appealed but has faced several similar challenges across the country.
On Wednesday, he was in a courtroom in a suburb of New York City, testifying in a trial for another ballot suit in the state, this one backed by the Democratic National Committee, that challenges the signatures collected by his campaign.
He's also facing a likely legal challenge in Arizona, where last week he submitted signatures that may have been collected by a super PAC that supports him, which Kennedy's critics say is illegal coordination between a candidate and an independent political group.