Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would be “honored” to have the support of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Trump discussed the possible endorsement during a press conference at the southern border.
“That would be a great honor for me,” Trump told reporters. “I think [Kennedy] would have beaten Biden in a primary.”
Campaign Announcement
Kennedy’s campaign announced the third-party candidate will make a major announcement in Arizona on Friday.
“Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will address the nation live on Friday about the present historical moment and his path forward,” the campaign stated.
This comes just days after Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan hinted in a podcast about the possibility that they would end their bid and rally behind the Trump-Vance ticket.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at, and one is staying in, forming [a new political party], but we run the risk of a Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump,” she told podcaster Tom Bilyeu. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we explain to our base why we are making this decision.”
Speculation has also circulated about Kennedy being offered a Cabinet role in exchange for his endorsement. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance told reporters late last week that he was unaware of such an exchange but confirmed that there has been some communication between both campaigns.
“I think you shouldn’t ever trade important jobs in the government for an endorsement. Whether it’s illegal or not, it’s certainly unethical,” Vance said.
Lifelong Democrat-Turned Independent
Known by his initials, RFK is the son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy was a lifelong Democrat but grew “increasingly estranged” from the party in the 2010s when he claims it shifted way from its traditional values, according to his official campaign website. In October 2023, he announced his presidential candidacy as an independent.
“My father and my uncle were members of a Democratic Party that was at the forefront of making sure that every American could vote for the candidate they wanted to. Today’s Democratic Party is doing the opposite,” Kennedy said in a video statement on X.
Some have labelled Kennedy an “anti-vaxxer,” leading him to recently address his stance on vaccines in an 11-minute video on X. He supports a “free-market approach” to energy and he believes “abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter.” He also supports achieving “tax fairness” by closing loopholes and eliminating deductions that only benefit the wealthy.
Kennedywill announce the status of his campaign from Phoenix on Friday. Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally that same day in nearby Glendale.