Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suspending his presidential campaign and backing Donald Trump.
The independent candidate announced his decision during a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, reports the . "In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory," he said, per . Kennedy said he was removing his name from the ballot in battleground states because he thought his presence in the race would help Kamala Harris, per the .
And at a press conference, he told reporters he will "throw my support to President Trump," per . In his speech, Kennedy said Democrats "waged continual legal warfare against both President Trump and myself" and "ran a sham primary," per . "In an honest system, I believe I would have won the election," he said.
It's possible Trump and Kennedy will be together later on Friday. The former president is holding a rally in nearby Glendale, Arizona, later, and he has spoken of a "special guest," notes the . The impact on the race between Trump and Harris is unclear: Polls have been divided on which candidate would benefit more from a Kennedy candidacy.
Before he spoke, Kennedy's campaign filed court documents in Pennsylvania saying it no longer objected to efforts to keep him off the ballot in the state "as a result of today's endorsement of Donald Trump for the office of President of the United States," reports the . However, a spokesman later said the filing was made in error..
