Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has announced that he will suspend his campaign for the 2024 presidential election and endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump.

According to a recent Ipsos poll, Kennedy’s support was at a mere 4%, and filings from the Federal Election Commission indicated his campaign was nearly out of funds. As of the end of last month, his campaign had around $3.9 million available but owed close to $3.5 million.

In a virtual speech on Friday, Kennedy stated he would take steps to withdraw his name from the ballot in approximately 10 competitive states where he felt his presence could act as a spoiler. He has already initiated this process in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

During a campaign stop in Las Vegas, Trump expressed gratitude to Kennedy for the “very nice endorsement” and indicated that he would elaborate on it at an event later that day in Arizona.

Members of the Kennedy family, who had previously criticized the independent candidate’s campaign, reacted to the news by labeling his endorsement of Trump as “a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear.”

In a joint statement, the five Kennedys declared, “It is a sad ending to a sad story.”

Speculation about Kennedy’s potential exit from the race surfaced earlier this week after his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, mentioned in an interview that the campaign was considering its options.

“We are weighing two choices: either to continue in this direction and create a new party, risking a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency, or to step back and align with Donald Trump,” Shanahan remarked at the time.

As rumors spread on Wednesday, ABC News revealed Kennedy’s plans to end his campaign, although a final decision had yet to be reached at that point. Reports indicated that Kennedy was looking for a deal with Trump that would involve a job placement in exchange for his endorsement.

Following Kennedy’s announcement, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Glendale, Arizona. His campaign hinted at a possible “special guest” appearance, leading to expectations that Kennedy could join Trump at the event.

Earlier in the week, Trump had praised Kennedy as “a brilliant” and “very smart guy,” contrasting with his April remarks where he claimed Kennedy was “far more liberal than anyone running as a Democrat” and expressed concern that Kennedy’s independent bid might take away votes from him in the general election.

Kennedy had previously met with Trump on the opening day of the Republican National Convention in July to discuss ideas for national unity, as per a campaign statement released at that time.

In response to Kennedy’s withdrawal, the Harris campaign presented their ticket as a fresh alternative for voters “disillusioned with Donald Trump and looking for a new path forward.”

“To effectively serve working individuals and those feeling overlooked, we must have a leader who prioritizes the people’s needs and unifies rather than divides,” stated Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon. “Vice President Harris aims to gain your support.”

Contributing: David Jackson and Karissa Waddick, Sudiksha Kochi, Bart Jansen YSL News