When former environmental lawyer and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent presidential campaign to support former President Donald Trump, he vowed to withdraw from the ballot in every battleground state to avoid siphoning votes from Trump. However, it appears he won’t be able to do that in several key states.
According to analyst Adam Carlson, Kennedy is unable to remove himself from the ballot in Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin due to various state laws and deadlines that have already passed. The most recent development occurred on Tuesday when the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1, ruling that Kennedy could not be removed from the ballot in that state.
According to Semafor’s Dave Weigel, the Trump campaign is particularly concerned about Kennedy’s presence on the ballot in Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. In these states, a significant number of Kennedy voters reportedly consider Trump their second choice, making Kennedy’s continued presence on the ballot potentially detrimental to Trump’s chances. In Michigan, however, Kennedy’s supporters appear to be more evenly split between Trump and other candidates.
Some experts have speculated that Kennedy’s candidacy was initially intended to draw votes away from Democrats and ultimately benefit Trump. This theory gained traction among certain Republican megadonors, including Tim Mellon, a GOP-aligned railroad magnate. Mellon, one of the largest contributors in the 2024 election cycle, donated millions of dollars to a super PAC supporting Kennedy while also funding Republican candidates.
As Kennedy’s ties to the Trump campaign strengthen, the former president has added him to his presidential transition team and has even hinted at the possibility of giving Kennedy a cabinet position in his administration. Despite Kennedy’s intent to remove himself from battleground ballots, the legal and procedural obstacles in key states may keep him in the race, potentially complicating the dynamics of the upcoming election.