Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential race, is potentially contemplating withdrawing from the campaign to join forces with former President Donald Trump.
This revelation came from Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, during her appearance on the “Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu” podcast on Tuesday.
Shanahan outlined the two main options currently under consideration. “One is staying in the race and forming a new party,” she said. However, she expressed concern that doing so could split the vote and inadvertently lead to a Kamala Harris and Tim Walz presidency. The other option, she revealed, is to exit the race and collaborate with Trump. “We walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump,” she explained, emphasizing that it’s a challenging decision. “Not an easy decision,” she added.
Shanahan, 38, further explained her preference for Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), over a potential Harris and Walz administration. “If we are splitting hairs, I would say that I trust the future of this country more under the leadership of Trump and the [Peter] Thiels and the JD Vances than I do right now under Harris and the Reid Hoffman,” Shanahan remarked, referencing the well-known GOP donor Peter Thiel and Democratic supporter Reid Hoffman.
The potential impact of Kennedy’s candidacy on the 2024 race has been a subject of recent polling. A Fox News poll last week showed that Trump leads Harris by a narrow 1-point margin in a direct matchup. However, the race became a tie when third-party candidates like Kennedy were included. Kennedy’s support in the poll was measured at 6%, a decline from his peak of 15% in November 2023 and down from 10% in July. Notably, the poll indicated that Kennedy’s candidacy drew more support away from Trump (9%) than from Harris (7%).
As Kennedy’s campaign faces this crossroads, Shanahan emphasized that their focus extends beyond just the November election. She pointed out that if Kennedy remains in the race and secures more than 5% of the vote, it could benefit future independent candidates by granting them automatic ballot access and public campaign financing. “Technically, we could win,” Shanahan stated, reflecting on the broader implications of their campaign.
Amid these developments, reports have surfaced that Kennedy met with Trump in Milwaukee last month on the first day of the Republican National Convention. According to the Washington Post, the two discussed a possible endorsement, with Trump potentially offering Kennedy a role in his administration should he be elected.
On the other hand, the Harris campaign reportedly declined any overtures to meet with Kennedy. Despite Kennedy’s willingness to make a similar offer to the Harris camp, a source within the Democratic National Committee dismissed the notion. “No one has any intention of negotiating with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement,” the source told The Post.
