The running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said they are considering ending their campaign and endorsing Donald Trump in a new interview released Tuesday.
Nicole Shanahan told Tom Bilyeu’s “Impact Theory” podcast that they are in a tough spot at the moment and are mulling the future of their White House bid, which is less than three months out of the election.
Their campaign has struggled financially and has failed to garner much traction. Kennedy’s support stands at 4.9%, according to an average of national presidential polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight. Meanwhile, a judge last week ruled that Kennedy shouldn’t appear on ballots in New York over falsely claiming he lived in the state in nominating petitions. He has appealed the decision.
Shanahan said that while they “technically” still have a chance at winning the election, the main question they’re asking themselves is whether the risk of a win for Vice President Kamala Harris is worth them staying in the race.
Shanahan explained that they are currently exploring their options, which include possibly dropping out and backing Trump.
“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,” she said. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we walk away from that, and we explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”
In an interview with CNN’s Kristen Holmes following his appearance at a campaign event in Michigan, Trump said he would “love” Kennedy’s endorsement, adding that he’s “always liked him.”
Asked if he would consider asking Kennedy to serve in his administration, Trump signaled he would be open to the possibility if Kennedy were to drop out and back his presidential bid.
“You’re asking me a very unusual question,” Trump said. “I like him a lot, I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that would happen.”
Trump also dismissed the possibility of Republicans balking at the prospect of Kennedy getting a Cabinet position given his past support for progressive policies.
“I like smart people, and Republicans like me,” Trump said.
Kennedy spoke to Trump about potentially endorsing him in exchange for a role in his administration focused on health and medical issues last month, but the two didn’t immediately reach a deal, The Washington Post reported.
Kennedy tried to secure a similar meeting with Harris but the vice president’s team didn’t express interest in his offer, according to the Post.
Shanahan denied the reports about reaching out to Harris as “fake news.”