On Wednesday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed his intention to give a major speech this Friday in Phoenix, coinciding with former President Donald Trump’s scheduled rally in the same city. Kennedy, who left the Democratic primary race to run as an independent, will speak at 2 p.m. ET, focusing on what his team describes as “the present historical moment and our path forward.” The address will be live-streamed across multiple social media platforms.
Securing ballot access for Kennedy has proven challenging due to stringent state requirements for independent candidates, which typically involve gathering thousands of signatures or obtaining backing from a minor party. On Tuesday, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s running mate, suggested two potential strategies: continuing their campaign as planned or possibly aligning with Trump to mitigate the risk of a Harris-Walz presidency.
“If we get over 5% of the vote, we actually establish ourselves as a party,” Shanahan said, pointing out the potential long-term benefits of remaining in the race. “There’s two options that we’re looking at. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump.”
In an NBC News interview on Wednesday, Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), revealed that there’s been “a lot of communication back and forth” between Kennedy and their campaign. “I haven’t spoken to RFK personally, but I know there’s been a lot of communication back and forth between RFK, between the campaign, between this campaign,” Vance explained.
“Look, our argument to RFK, and I’ll make it right now, because, of course, he hasn’t dropped out yet, is, look: If you want a Democratic Party that protected American workers and stood for strong borders, maybe disagreed with Republicans on things like tax policy, that party doesn’t exist anymore,” he added. “I know the president’s been working hard for that, but it’s completely separate from whether RFK gets a Cabinet position,” Vance continued. “It’s about welcoming a lot of those Democrats who feel abandoned by the party of Kamala Harris.”
Recent polls show a tight race between the two leading candidates, with Kennedy significantly trailing both at around 3.0% in most surveys. Kennedy’s presidential campaign has faced numerous setbacks and controversies, impacting his visibility and polling numbers. Notably, Kennedy has not held a public, campaign-sponsored event since early July, and his running mate, Shanahan, has been absent from the campaign scene for several months, only reappearing this week. The campaign has also been plagued by several damaging incidents.
Kennedy’s campaign has been marred by a series of controversies, including allegations of groping by a former family babysitter and a bizarre claim that he used a roadside bear carcass to stage a fake bicycle accident in Central Park years ago. Financial troubles are also weighing heavily on his campaign; Kennedy revealed a $3 million debt in a CBS News interview last month.
Although Shanahan has injected millions into the campaign and received nearly $1 million back in July, financial issues remain. Additionally, Kennedy has faced challenges in securing ballot access across all 50 states, recently being disqualified from the New York ballot after a judge ruled that the address he used on signature petitions did not match his actual residency.
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