Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy jr. announced Friday that he is suspending his campaign and throwing his support to former President Donald Trump. Kennedy addressed the nation from Phoenix to discuss his path forward amid dwindling poll numbers due to government censorship, Democrat lawfare and the media embargo of his campaign.

“I promised the American people that I would withdraw from the race if I became a spoiler—someone who would alter the outcome of the election, but had no chance of winning,” he told his audience of supporters. “In my heart, I no longer believe that I have a realistic path to electoral victory in the face of this relentless, systematic censorship and media control so I cannot in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours and ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House.”

Kennedy noted that polling was consistently showing that by staying on the ballot in battleground states, he was taking more votes away from Trump than Harris.

“I would likely hand the election to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues: censorship, war, and chronic disease,” he said.

“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,” Kennedy declared.

He said he was not terminating his campaign, but was “simply suspending it,” and that his name will still be on ballots in blue states. Kennedy said he would be taking his name off ballots in red states where polling shows he takes votes from Trump and be a spoiler.

Kennedy is expected to join Trump at his rally in nearby Glendale at 4:00 MT.

[This story is developing]