Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ends campaign, endorses Trump, withdraws from Texas ballot

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he is suspending his independent campaign for president and endorsed former president Donald Trump.

While announcing his suspension of his campiagn, Kennedy said that he is choosing to stay on the ballot in most states but will remove his name in swing states. He didn’t name which states, but according to The Texas Secretary of State website Kennedy has withdrawn from being on the Texas ballot. Kennedy did withdraw from the Arizona ballot on Thursday.

Recent polling shows Vice President Kamala Harris within striking distance of winning Texas, a stronger showing than when President Joe Biden was a candidate for reelection and was polling behind Trump in Texas by nearly double digits. In the same poll, Kennedy had roughly 2% of support from likely Texans voters. He had reached a high of 8% in earlier polling.

Two weeks ago, the Texas Secretary of State's office accepted Kennedy's petition to appear on the state ballot. According to the state election code, a candidate has until the 74th day before election day to withdraw from the general election.

As the race tightens between Harris and Trump, Kennedy’s endorsement could help Trump in swing states. Josh Blank, director of research for the Texas Politics Project said that in Texas, the endorsement would make little difference.

Kennedy has seen an increase in his unfavorable rating among Texas voters because of the multiple negative news cycles revolving around Kennedy's past, said Blank. Texas Republicans voters held slightly more favorable views of Kennedy than Democrats.

“Kennedy's support has been eroding in the state as elsewhere,” Blank said, “and it's not clear his endorsement would hold that much sway.”

Disclosure: Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

TribFest Keynotes Announced! Be there when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin take the keynote stage at The Texas Tribune Festival! Whitmer will talk with Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith about her memoir, her key victories in Michigan and the importance of every vote. Youngkin and Smith will close out TribFest with a conversation about his record, the state of his party and a conservative policy agenda for America. Explore the full program of 300+ speakers and 100+ events. Get tickets today.