Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering ending presidential campaign, 2 sources say
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering ending his presidential candidacy in the coming days, according to two sources familiar with his campaign, though he has not yet made a final decision.
On Wednesday, his campaign director, Amaryllis Fox, sent an email to staff thanking them for their contributions to the campaign and informing them that Kennedy was mulling over suspending his campaign.
"What I've heard from my friends on the campaign is that Bobby is torn. The word that keeps coming up is 'torn.' Ultimately, I think he will endorse Trump," said Link Lauren, a former senior adviser to the campaign, in an interview with CBS News.
Late Thursday, CBS News learned that RFK Jr. will not appear on Arizona's ballot despite qualifying this week. His campaign filed new paperwork Thursday to withdraw his candidacy.
"He won't appear on any ballot," a spokesperson with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office told CBS News in a text message.
Kennedy's campaign announced on his website that he plans to address the nation on Friday "about the present historical moment and his path forward." ABC News reported that RFK Jr. is expected to end his campaign.
According to a source familiar with the campaign, Kennedy realizes he has no path to victory, and the campaign's funding is drying up. His advisers are split, with some encouraging him to drop out and endorse former President Donald Trump, while others urge him to keep running. His wife, Cheryl Hines, dislikes Trump and does not want Kennedy to support him. Cheryl has publicly expressed her dislike of Trump, telling TMZ in February, when asked if she would support RFK on the ticket with Trump, "I think Bobby knows me very well," and laughed when TMZ responded, "I think that's our answer."
Some of those encouraging him to continue running are well-paid by the campaign, including Del Bigtree, the campaign's communications director, who was paid $20,000 in July, and Charles Eisenstein, the campaign's director of messaging, who received $21,667 last month, according to financial filings.
However, Kennedy's campaign is over $3 million in debt. His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has vowed to fund Kennedy's ballot access efforts, including fighting legal challenges brought forward by Democratic Party allies. According to the campaign, Kennedy only needs to submit signatures in four more states, bringing his ballot access efforts close to an end.
Shanahan told Tom Bilyeu on the "Impact Theory" podcast that Kennedy was considering supporting GOP nominee Donald Trump. She expressed concern that staying in the race might "draw votes from Trump" and raised the possibility of "walking away right now and joining forces with him."
Shanahan posted on social media on Thursday that "my old Dem buddies have been flooding me with frantic calls, texts, and emails."
"The message is clear: they're terrified of the idea of our movement joining forces with Donald Trump," Shanahan said. "When I point out what the Democratic Party and their super PACs have done to sabotage our campaign, their response is always, 'but Trump is worse.' Here's an idea: stop suing us. Let us debate. Quit rigging the media and the polls. It's a simple formula, people—get with it."
On Wednesday, Shanahan said on the "Ask Dr. Drew" podcast, "I think that Friday is going to be one of the biggest events in American election history."
Meanwhile, Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate, told CBS News that he would welcome an endorsement from Kennedy.
"I think it's a great endorsement for the president to have," Vance told "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Wednesday. "I don't know if it's actually going to happen, but I'd certainly welcome it and encourage RFK to join the team."
A source close to Trump told CBS News' Robert Costa that any Trump endorsement by Kennedy would be about "Bobby coming to us" and "offering support" due to his own conclusions about a path forward, not about Trump making a deal or promise to the presidential candidate.
In July, Kennedy's son released a video of a speakerphone conversation RFK Jr. had with Trump, in which the former president could be heard agreeing with Kennedy's discredited views on vaccines before trying to convince him to endorse his campaign.
"I would love you to do something. And I think it'll be so good for you and so big for you," Trump told Kennedy. "And we're going to win," he added.
Kennedy's campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Kennedy also recently approached Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign to discuss the possibility of serving in her administration, two sources familiar with the situation told CBS News, but Harris and her advisers did not agree to meet him.
"No one has any intention of negotiating with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement," one Harris campaign source said.
In response to the possibility that Kennedy could end his presidential bid, the Democratic National Committee issued a statement saying, "desperate men do desperate things."
"RFK Jr. was recruited by MAGA, funded by MAGA, and parroted MAGA talking points. No one should be shocked if he formalizes his relationship in an attempt to maintain relevance," said Mary Beth Cahill, a DNC senior adviser.