Kennedy withdraws from Arizona ballot on eve of big announcement

State of play: Former President Trump visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Thursday, and will hold a rally in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale on Friday.

• The timing of Trump's speech and Kennedy's announcement has fueled speculation that Kennedy would end his campaign and endorse Trump.
• Trump's campaign announced that he'll be joined by a "special guest" at his rally.

Zoom in: Running against two historically unpopular candidates in Trump and President Biden, Kennedy consistently polled around 10% for much of this year, and considerably higher in some swing state polls, Axios' Avery Lotz and Dave Lawler report.

• But Vice President Kamala Harris' entry into the race took the wind out of his sails. Democratic-leaning voters who had favored Kennedy over Biden swiftly flocked to Harris.
• A Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this month found that Harris' six-point bump from Biden's July standings largely came from those who had previously reported supporting or leaning toward Kennedy.
• Kennedy exiting the race would almost certainly help Trump, who tends to perform worse in polls when third-party candidates are included, Axios' Erin Doherty notes.

What we're watching: Trump told CNN earlier this week that he "probably" would give RFK a role in his administration if Kennedy quit the 2024 race and endorsed the Republican nominee.

What he's saying: Trump said in a Thursday night phone interview with Fox News that he had "a great relationship" with Kennedy over the years. "I respect him. He respects me," Trump said.

• The former president noted they "happen to be" in Arizona on Friday, but added that both would be in quite different parts of the state.
• "It's possible we will be meeting tomorrow and we'll be discussing it," he said.

Go deeper: Where it all went wrong for RFK Jr.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from former President Trump and further context. Axios' Sareen Habeshian contributed reporting.