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By Stephanie Kelly
CHICAGO (Reuters) -Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants a deal with Donald Trump in which he endorses the Republican rival in exchange for a job in a potential Trump administration, a super PAC supporting Kennedy told Reuters on Wednesday.
Kennedy's campaign said Wednesday he would address the nation on Friday in Arizona, where he will talk about "the present historical moment and his path forward."
Kennedy is planning to drop out of the election and endorse Trump, but that hinges on whether the Republican offers Kennedy "and others" a position in the White House if elected, Larry Sharpe, outreach director with American Values 2024, told Reuters.
Trump told CNN this week he would "certainly be open" to Kennedy playing a role in his administration if the independent candidate drops out of the race and endorses him.
Kennedy also wants Trump to allow his political movement to continue in some fashion, which could include staying on the ballot in some states, Sharpe said.
ABC News reported earlier on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, that Kennedy plans to drop out of the race by the end of the week and endorse Trump.
Super PACs, or political action committees, can raise unlimited amounts of money for candidates but are prohibited from coordinating directly with the campaign. American Values has raised over $50 million in support of Kennedy, according to Federal Election Commission filings through June 30.
The Kennedy campaign declined to comment.
Kennedy's running mate, Nicole Shanahan, told Los Angeles media company Impact Theory on Tuesday that he was considering ending his campaign to join forces with Trump.
Trump has previously sought Kennedy's support, a phone call leaked to Reuters and other outlets in July showed. Shanahan in the interview released on Tuesday said Trump had taken an interest in their healthcare policies, making it worth exploring "a unity party."
Kennedy, 70, the son of late Democratic politician Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy, started his presidential campaign as a Democrat, challenging President Joe Biden for the nomination.
An environmental advocate who has spread vaccine misinformation, Kennedy has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states.
Kennedy's support stood at 4% in an Ipsos poll taken this month, down from 10% the month before.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly and Jasper Ward; Editing by Eric Beech, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis, Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington)
