WASHINGTON — Sources tell ABC News that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a life-long Democrat-turned-Independent candidate for president, plans to pull the plug on his campaign and endorse Donald Trump.
His running mate is teasing a major announcement on Friday.
When ABC News’ Jon Karl spoke with Kennedy, he said he would not, “confirm nor deny” his plans, but he did harshly criticize Kamala Harris’ emergence as the Democratic nominee saying, “It’s not democracy.”
Trump has been courting Kennedy. Earlier this summer, Trump called Kennedy, which was a member of the Kennedy team recorded a video that was later posted on social media.
“I would love you to do something, and I think it will be so good for you and so big for you. And we’re going to win,” Trump could be heard saying on the video.
On that call, Trump seemed to embrace debunked misinformation Kennedy has been pushing about childhood vaccines.
Sources say Kennedy’s endorsement would come with a price: a position in a Trump administration.
His running mate told ABC News, “It would require a significant commitment by Trump to give Bobby true authority to execute.”
However, Donald Trump, Jr. suggested Kennedy could be given control of a federal agency.
“I loved the idea, love the idea of giving him some sort of role in some sort of major three-letter entity or whatever it may be and let him blow it up,” Don Jr. said.
Kennedy’s independent campaign was once polling at about 15%, but has fallen following a strange series of missteps, including the revelation that Kennedy had claimed years ago that a worm had eaten part of his brain. He also recently confessed to a bizarre incident ten years ago where he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park.
“I wasn’t drinking, of course. But people were drinking with me who thought this was a good idea. We thought it would be amusing for whoever found it, or something,” Kennedy said in a video posted online about the bear incident.
Much of the Kennedy family has rejected his campaign, publicly throwing their support to President Biden and now to Vice President Harris.
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