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RFK Jr's running mate says campaign considering backing Trump

Rachel Looker
BBC News, Washington



Robert F Kennedy Jr's running mate says the independent presidential candidate is considering joining forces with Donald Trump's campaign or staying in and forming a third party.

On a podcast released on Tuesday, Nicole Shanahan indicated the campaign may have reached a political crossroads and is debating next steps.

She said they are currently considering the two options to avoid the "risk" of a Kamala Harris presidency.

The Kennedy family heir, a longshot third-party candidate, has faced a number of hurdles in his campaign, from legal challenges over getting his name on state ballots to funding his run.


“There’s two options that we’re looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump,” Ms Shanahan, 38, said on the Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu podcast.

“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 it was "not an easy decision".

BBC News has reached out to the Kennedy campaign for clarity on Ms Shanahan's comments.

In a post on Twitter/X on Tuesday, Mr Kennedy said: "As always, I am willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further the goals I have served for 40 years in my career and in this campaign."

Mr Kennedy's running mate said she trusts the future of the country more under the leadership of Trump, a Republican, than under the Democratic nominee, Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Ms Shanahan rejected recent reports that the Kennedy campaign had been in talks with the Harris team about a potential endorsement or cabinet position.

"That said, we have offered to talk to everybody about what your policies are, who's going to be in your cabinet, do you want to hear any of our takes on policy and what might work," she said.

She noted that former President Trump has taken a keen interest in some of their campaign's policies around chronic disease.

"For that reason, it behooves us to sit and see if we can actually make some real change and if that is a unity party, I think that it is something that we absolutely owe to the American public to explore," said Ms Shanahan.

Media reports over the last few months have indicated that Mr Kennedy, 70, has offered to endorse the former president in exchange for a role in his next administration.

A leaked phone call in July between the two candidates had Trump saying he would “love" Mr Kennedy "to do something” to support him.


A rocky path for the Kennedy campaign


The last several months have not been easy for the Kennedy campaign.

He has struggled to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states ahead of November's election.

Most recently a New York state judge ruled that he does not meet the legal requirement of a state resident and therefore cannot be on the state's election ballot.

He has vowed to appeal against the decision that could prompt legal challenges in other states as well.

Other third-party candidates still campaigning have faced similar ballot access issues.

Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver, independent Marianne Williamson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornell West are all still running in the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Kennedy is the most well-known independent candidate but his popularity appears to have plummeted since Ms Harris entered the race.

His campaign is facing a fundraising crunch, with recent finance filings showing it is spending more than it is raising and running short on cash.

He has also faced a number of controversies in recent weeks, including an allegation that he sexually assaulted a former family babysitter.

He responded to that report by calling it a "lot of garbage" and saying that he was "not a church boy".

He also made headlines for his recent confession about dumping a dead bear in Central Park in 2014.

Mr Kennedy is currently polling at about 5% in national opinion surveys.

He narrowly missed qualifying for the first presidential debate in June between President Joe Biden and Trump.