WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Bernama-dpa) -- Independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr has scheduled a major speech for Friday amid mounting speculation that he could pull out of the election.
"Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr will address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward," he posted on his website on Wednesday, said German news agency (dpa).
Kennedy wants to speak in Phoenix, Arizona, where Republican candidate Donald Trump is also making a campaign appearance on Friday.
Kennedy's vice-presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan had recently brought into play a possible merger with the Trump campaign.
US broadcaster ABC News reported that Kennedy was planning to withdraw from the election campaign. He is leaning towards backing Trump, according to people familiar with the situation. However, he has not yet made a final decision.
Shanahan had explained in an interview that there were two options for Kennedy's team: Either stay in the race and risk Democrat Kamala Harris winning the presidential election on Nov 5, or support Trump now.
Robert Kennedy, the nephew of former president John F Kennedy, has no chance of winning the presidential election. Current opinion polls give him an average of only around 5 per cent of the vote.
However, both the Democrats and the Republicans are looking at him with concern. The election is a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Harris.
Kennedy could take decisive votes from either major party. It currently looks as if his candidacy is more likely to hurt Trump - so a withdrawal by Kennedy would tend to be good news for the Republican.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
