RFK Announces Major Speech in Same City as Trump as Endorsement Rumors Swirl

On Wednesday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his plans to deliver a significant speech this Friday in Phoenix, the same city and day as President Donald Trump’s scheduled rally.

Kennedy, who abandoned a bid for the Democratic nomination to run as an independent, will address the nation at 2 p.m. ET, shedding light on what his team has called “the present historical moment and our path forward.” The speech will also be live-streamed across various social channels.

Getting Kennedy’s name on ballots has been an uphill battle due to stringent state requirements for independent candidates, which often require collecting thousands of signatures or securing support from a minor party. On Tuesday Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s running mate, hinted at two strategic options: pushing forward with their campaign or potentially aligning with Trump to avoid “risking” 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.”

The first involves staying in the race and laying the groundwork for a substantial third-party challenge in 2028. This path would avoid the hefty expenses associated with securing ballot access and would allow the party to focus resources on campaigning. “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.”

“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 indicate a tight race heading into the election season, but only between two candidates. Kennedy trails both leaders by irredeemable margins at just roughly 3.0% in most polls. Kennedy’s presidential campaign has encountered numerous setbacks and controversies, significantly impacting his visibility and polling numbers. Notably absent from the campaign trail, Kennedy hasn’t held a public, campaign-sponsored event since early July, and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has been missing from the scene for several months until resurfacing this week. The campaign has been marred by several damaging incidents as well.

These include allegations of groping by a former family babysitter and a peculiar incident where Kennedy allegedly used a bear carcass found roadside to fake a bicycle accident in New York’s Central Park years ago.

Financial difficulties are further straining his campaign; in a CBS News interview last month, Kennedy disclosed a $3 million debt. Despite financial injections from Shanahan, who contributed millions to the campaign and received nearly a $1 million refund in July, fiscal issues persist. Kennedy’s efforts to secure ballot access across all 50 states have stumbled. Recently, he was disqualified from the New York state ballot after a judge ruled that the address he used on signature petitions did not reflect his actual residency.