Third party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to drop out of the presidential race by the end of the week. His decision to leave the race— and who he subsequently endorses— might have a big impact in how some Latino voters cast their ballots.
The plans were originally reported by ABC News, who got the scoop by different sources familiar with the subject.
Those sources said that RFK's decision has not yet been finalized and could still change, with one of those sources adding that Kennedy's hope is, in part, to reach a conclusion quickly in order to try to blunt the momentum from the Democratic National Convention.
If he decides to group out, ABC News reports he will endorse former President Donald Trump. The outlet hints that there are being discussions for Kennedy to appear on stage with Trump at an event in Phoenix on Friday, but people familiar with Trump say no plans for that rally have been finalized yet.
The speculation also comes as Kennedy announced Wednesday that he will give a campaign speech addressing "his path forward." Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy's running mate, also said Tuesday that the ticket is weighing in two options— to stay in the race and "risk" a Harris-Walz presidency, or drop out of the race and "join forces."
If Kennedy does ultimately decide to drop out, it would end the most prominent third-party candidate in the 2024 race, as well as potentially determine how a large group of Latino voters will ultimately cast their ballots in November.
Since he initially announced his candidacy— back when President Biden was still seeking a reelection bid— Kennedy had been drawing support away from both Trump and Biden. Among Latinos, he posed the biggest threat to Democrats.
Voto Latino released a study in June of 2,000 Latino voters in five critical states: Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada, Texas and Pennsylvania. It found that 18%, or about one-fifth, of likely Latino voters were leaning toward a third-party presidential candidate, which the group said was a remarkably high number for this point in the election cycle.
Similarly, in a hypothetical two-way matchup, Biden beat Trump at the time of the study 59% to 39%, but his support fell by 12 percentage points when the contest included Kennedy and the two other candidates.
However, as Biden bid farewell to his campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris took the helm of the ticket, Democrats seem to be energized, largely rallying behind her. This, as well as a string of damaging stories— from groping allegations against Kennedy from a former family babysitter to the story that he picked up a bear carcass and used it to stage a bicycle accident in Central Park— has been detrimental to Kennedy's campaign.
Throughout his campaign ,RFJ sought to appeal to the Latino vote, using a version of his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy's "Viva Kennedy!" platform, registering voters under RFK's We the People Party, releasing Spanish-language ads and setting up clubs across the country as JFK did.
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