Odds shift in Trump's favor as RFK Jr. prepares to pull out of presidential race

By Louis Goss

Betting odds have shifted in favor of a Donald Trump victory in the upcoming U.S. elections, amid expectations Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to pull out of the race by the end of this week.

Kennedy, who is standing on an independent platform, is reportedly planning to endorse Trump, according to sources speaking to ABC, which first reported the news.

RFK Jr is also reportedly seeking to strike a deal with Trump that would see him endorse the Republican candidate in return for a position in any government he forms, a Super PAC supporting the independent candidate told Reuters.

Trump currently has a 53% chance of winning the U.S. elections in November, compared to Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris' 46% chance, data from Polymarket shows.

Other betting sites are showing a less-pronounced shift toward Trump. On PredictIt, which has less volume than Polymarket, Harris still has a lead.

The aggregator site ElectionBettingOdds shows Trump with a 50% to 48% lead.

The odds had shifted in favor of the Democratic Party candidate at the start of this month.

Harris first launched her presidential campaign on July 21 after incumbent President Joe Biden exited the race in response to concerns about his health and widespread criticism of his performance in a debate with Trump in June.

Trump's odds previously peaked in July after the former U.S. president survived a 20-year-old shooter's attempt to take his life at a rally in Butler, Pa. on July 13.

The shift in favor of Harris on Aug. 7 followed the new Democratic candidate's decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate.

-Louis Goss

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08-22-24 0608ET

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