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Independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is contemplating leaving the campaign. Trump is seeking his support – and is offering a position in the government.
Washington, DC – Nicole Shanahan, the vice-presidential candidate for independent Robert F. Kennedy, said in a podcast episode of Impact Theory released on Tuesday that their campaign team is considering exiting the US electoral race and instead supporting Donald Trump. They want to “reduce the risk” of Kamala Harris becoming president, the tech lawyer added. She was once married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin before an unconfirmed affair with Elon Musk reportedly ended the marriage, according to the Wall Street Journal. She has little political experience but has donated large sums to the Democratic Party and to Kennedy.
Donald Trump responded promptly. “I like him, and I respect him,” he said to CNN after a campaign appearance in Michigan the same day about Kennedy. He would feel “honored” by his support, Trump added. “He is a brilliant man. He is a very smart man. I have known him a long time,” the Republican presidential candidate continued. He would be “certainly open” to Kennedy playing a role in his government if the independent candidate were to withdraw from the race and support Trump.
The independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy may withdraw from the race to secure a position in a possible Trump cabinet. © IMAGO/UPI Photo/ZUMA Press Wire/Tracy Kimball
Kennedy may exit US election campaign – and switch to Trump
Kennedy’s campaign is under pressure as it spent more than it took in during July. A lot of money went, according to Politico, toward getting the independent candidate on the presidential ballot in all states. As of August 19, he is approved in 23 states according to CBS News, while official confirmation is still pending in another 23 states. New York has disqualified Kennedy so far as the only state due to a court accusing him of falsely claiming residency there.
In the face of consolidating support for Trump and Harris, it appears Kennedy sees his chances diminishing and may opt for a different strategy instead. Since the beginning of July, he has not appeared at public campaign events. In the meantime, he has attempted, according to the Washington Post, to entice Democrats and Republicans with polls indicating that both Harris and Trump would benefit in 31 states from publicly promising Kennedy a position in their cabinet.
Trump has previously shown sympathy for Kennedy
The Washington Post reported that Trump has repeatedly asked advisors and guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort whether Kennedy’s candidacy would benefit him or Biden more. He even toyed with the idea of bringing him aboard as a vice-presidential candidate before choosing Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate.
“Trump-Kennedy” doesn’t sound bad at all, he has reportedly said from time to time according to the Post. It seems Trump, who recommended injecting disinfectants during the COVID pandemic, is indifferent to the fact that Kennedy is a vehement critic of vaccines. Contrary to scientific findings, the independent candidate attributes, among other things, the rise in health issues like autism to vaccines.
Vaccine critic Kennedy would prefer to be Health Secretary
Kennedy reacted on X (formerly Twitter) to his running mate Shanahan’s statements from yesterday. He stated he is willing to “speak with the leaders of any political party” to advance his goals. These involve “reversing the epidemic of chronic diseases, ending the war machinery, eliminating corporate influence over government and pollution, protecting free speech, and ending the politicization of law enforcement agencies.”
Donald Trump in the past: How much the former US President has changed
“I didn’t know he was thinking about exiting, but if he is, I would certainly be open to it,” Trump said on Tuesday to CNN. In fact, people in his camp, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, reached out to Kennedy as early as mid-July, as reported by the Washington Post. The two candidates allegedly discussed Kennedy’s possible exit, his support for Trump, and a job in health and medicine in a future “MAGA” administration at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In the second week of August, Kennedy sought a similar conversation with Kamala Harris, but according to the Washington Post, the Democratic presidential candidate did not respond to his overtures. Moreover, the well-informed US media outlet Newsweek analyzed that current polls suggest it would benefit Trump more than Harris if Kennedy were to exit the race.