WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens before the start of a hearing with the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Members of the committee held the hearing to discuss instances of the U.S. government's alleged censoring of citizens, political figures and journalists. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
On Friday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he is suspending his campaign and endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump.
In Phoenix, just hours before Trump’s rally in neighboring Glendale, Kennedy strongly suggested that Trump would given a position in the his cabinet on health issues.
On Tuesday, Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, openly discussed the possibility of ending their presidential campaign to endorse Trump.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at, and one is staying, forming that new party. But we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump,” Shanahan told the Impact Theory podcast.
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“Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and you know, we walk away from that, and we explain to our base why we’re making this decision,” she said.
Kennedy wanted to finalize the decision quickly to counteract the momentum from the Democratic National Convention.
The move would have once seemed unthinkable for Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat and member of the beloved Kennedy family, as the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy.
Trump and Kennedy have been in regular contact recently, including a meeting in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention last month, where they discussed potential roles for Kennedy in a Trump White House, such as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In a Tuesday statement, Trump, who has previously criticized Kennedy as “the most radical left candidate in the race,” said he would “love” an endorsement from Kennedy, calling him “a brilliant guy.”
Trump also said he would “certainly” be open to having Kennedy play a role in his administration if Kennedy drops out and endorses him.
“He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time. I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly I’d be open to it,” Trump stated on Tuesday.
The news follows a New York judge’s recent ruling that Kennedy should not appear on the state ballot due to listing a “sham” address on his nominating petitions.
Although Kennedy has appealed, he faces similar charges in several other states.
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