BREAKING: RFK Jr. to Address Nation on Friday Amid Rumors of Withdrawal

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be addressing the nation on Friday to discuss his path forward, says his press secretary, Stefanie Spear.

Independent Presidential Candidate @RobertKennedyJr will address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward. 🇺🇸https://t.co/i8gVV96xYW

— Stefanie Spear (@StefanieSpear) August 21, 2024

This announcement comes on the heels of Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy's running mate, revealing earlier this week that their campaign is considering stepping aside and endorsing former President Donald Trump.

"What my gut tells me right now is that we just have to keep being honest. I gotta just keep being honest. I gotta keep focusing on what matters the most outside of party lines," Shanahan said on the Impact Theory podcast. "I need to focus on a vision that goes beyond November."

"And if that means that we stay in, and you know, there's benefits to staying in," she continued. "If we get over 5% of the vote, we actually establish ourselves as a party. 71% of Americans want a strong third party with a real shot at winning. There's even public funds available if we get over 5% of the vote."

“So, you know, there’s two options that we're looking at, and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump," she said. "Or we walk away right now and join forces with — with Donald Trump and explain to our base why we're making this decision.”

There have been rumors for weeks that Kennedy was considering dropping out and that he reached out to both the Trump and Harris campaigns about an endorsement. Last month, multiple sources told ABC News that Trump and Kennedy had several discussions, including an in-person meeting in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention, where they discussed potential roles for Kennedy in a future Trump administration in exchange for Kennedy dropping out and endorsing Trump.

Two sources familiar with the discussions claimed weeks ago that Kennedy could oversee the Health and Human Services Department in a second Trump administration. Trump has reportedly indicated that he's open to giving RFK Jr. a cabinet position in exchange for his endorsement.

"You're asking me a very unusual question, I haven't been asked that question yet," Trump said. "I like him a lot, I respect him a lot, I probably would if something like that would happen."

According to a report from Fox News Digital, Amaryllis Kennedy, Kennedy’s daughter-in-law and campaign manager, sent the following email to campaign staff before this new announcement was made:

For the last 19 months (22 months for the original core), this team – this family – has worked seven days a week, ten plus hours a day, in blizzards and blazing heat, sacrificing family time, personal commitments, and any hope of sleep, in service to our shared vision for this country.

Never, in all these months, has Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sidestepped his movement to communicate his heart through back-channel leaks. Nor would he ever, especially in this most consequential moment for us all. So please, hold tight until you hear directly from him.

An alliance between Trump and Kennedy would most certainly shake up the race, and the timing of the announcement could potentially suck all the energy out of any convention bounce Kamala Harris might potentially have gotten.

We'll be sure to let you know what happens with this development on Friday, and we'll continue to give you hard-hitting analysis and reports.