Kennedy Jr. joins Trump rally after expressing support - AP

Kennedy stated that, according to his internal polling, his candidacy would harm Trump and benefit Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

However, recent public polls have not shown a clear impact of Kennedy’s candidacy on the support for either of the major party candidates, as reported by the Associated Press.

At his event in Phoenix, Kennedy cited free speech, the war in Ukraine, and “a war on our children” as among the reasons he would try to remove his name from the ballots in battleground states.

"These are the principal causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump," he said.

Kennedy made it clear that he is not officially withdrawing from the race, and his supporters can continue to back him in most states where they are unlikely to affect the outcome.

He has reportedly taken steps to remove his candidacy from at least two states by the end of this week, namely Arizona and Pennsylvania. However, election officials in Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin have stated that Kennedy will be too late to remove his name from the ballot if he chooses to do so.

Kennedy also mentioned that his decision followed recent discussions with Trump. He referred to their alliance as a "unity party." Additionally, Kennedy suggested that Trump might offer him a position if he returns to the White House.

Kennedy’s campaign partner, Nicole Shanahan, proposed this week that Kennedy could join Trump’s administration as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Trump had attempted to capture media attention away from Harris, particularly during the Democratic National Convention, but was unsuccessful.