Despite mediocre polling numbers and little chance of winning, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shows no signs of retreating, and political observers remain interested in his next move.
On Sunday, hours after President Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, Kennedy reiterated his case that a third-party presidential bid had a path to victory.
Kennedy continues to be a thorn in the side of Democrats and Republicans, who worry about how his presence will affect a presidential election already in turmoil after an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump and Biden’s decision to drop out.
It’s not entirely clear how Kennedy will affect the Trump-Harris race if the vice president officially becomes the Democratic nominee. In the three-way race that includes Kennedy, Trump leads Harris by six points (43 percent to 37 percent), according to an average of polls from The Hill and Decision Desk, while Harris, an independent, has 6 percent support.
However, this average is based on only six polls in total and does not provide a clear picture of the state of the three-way race.
The uncertainty surrounding Kennedy’s candidacy has sounded alarm bells for Trump, and a leaked phone call last week confirmed that Trump spoke to Kennedy to ask for his endorsement, the latest sign of the former Democrat’s influence in the race despite his narrow margin of victory.
“It seems like he’s trying to keep his options open,” a former Trump campaign official said last week about Kennedy’s conversations with the 45th president as the Republican National Convention culminated in Milwaukee.
Trump and Kennedy have been keeping a close eye on each other throughout the campaign, and Trump’s endorsement request suggests he sees Kennedy as a potential asset but also worries that the environmental lawyer could steal support from the former president.
“I’d love for you to do something,” Trump said. “I think that would be a very good thing for you and a big thing.”
“We’re going to win,” Trump added to Kennedy, who calmly replied, “Yes, we are.”
President Trump’s sentiments were reinforced in an interview with his son, Donald Trump Jr., by Axios’ Mike Allen.
“There may be a position somewhere in the administration that would be a good fit for him,” Trump Jr. said.
Many Republicans and Kennedy supporters warm to the idea of Kennedy being in the president’s inner circle while Trump works to retake the White House. They hope Kennedy will embrace a “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality, but for now that seems like just wishful thinking.
Kennedy’s comments on Sunday criticized Trump and the Democratic Party, accusing the former president of sowing discord in the U.S. His remarks suggest that, at least for now, the independent candidate has no intention of dropping out of the race.
Still, some of Kennedy’s allies have expressed approval of the way he and Trump have communicated.
A source close to the Kennedy campaign said last week that they were “very pleased and excited” to see the two candidates speak one-on-one.
“There’s a lot of voters who were hoping they could work together as a kind of unified candidate,” said a Kennedy supporter source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about ways Kennedy could potentially contribute.
The call, leaked by X, appeared to be an attempt by Trump to broaden his support among independents, who Kennedy has consistently supported, and an expanded coalition could help him navigate a number of unknown scenarios, including a potential election upset with Harris or another Democratic candidate coming out on top.
While the leaked call was a blip in an intense news cycle for Trump, it was a bigger shock to Kennedy, who is still seeking the nomination despite having yet to secure votes in more than 20 states, according to his campaign’s public tracking system.
Kennedy, meanwhile, said he was “embarrassed” that the call had been made.
“I was recording with our in-house videographer when President Trump called me,” Kennedy wrote in a social media post, confirming the call was authentic and had not been tampered with. “I should have instructed the videographer to stop recording immediately.”
Some of Kennedy’s allies are happy with his working relationship with Trump, but they are outraged by the leaks rather than their contents.
“I was also horrified that a private conversation between such high-ranking officials was filmed and then leaked,” a source close to his campaign said. “Bobby has done the right thing by apologizing and accepting responsibility.”
Tony Lysons, who runs American Values, a super PAC that supports Kennedy’s third-party bid, suggested he would accept some kind of role under Trump’s umbrella if he is re-elected in November.
“I know what he really wants at heart is to fight for the American people,” Lyons said, adding, “If he could serve in another way, I’m sure he would.”
While there is mutual intrigue between Kennedy and Trump associates, Democrats see Trump as an active threat to their already difficult effort to keep the White House, and strategists pointed to the call, which covered anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, as another sign that the 70-year-old lawyer is closer to the Republican Party.
The candidates’ debate was largely about vaccines, with Kennedy famously skeptical of the science behind some of the most high-profile vaccines, including those for childhood illnesses and the COVID-19 vaccine. Trump seemed to agree with Kennedy during his speech.
“This video is for many of us. [have] “I’ve been saying for a while now that the Kennedy campaign is not independent, it’s just a stooge to help Trump win,” said Doug Gordon, a veteran political activist and founder of Upshift Strategies.
“It’s no coincidence that the same big donors who are funding the Trump campaign are also funding the Kennedy campaign,” Gordon said.
Speculation is growing about what role Kennedy might play if Trump returns to the White House.
“It’s safe to assume that if Kennedy helps Trump win, he will be rewarded with a position in the Trump administration,” Gordon said.
Democrats generally responded lukewarmly to the video, signaling a shift in the Republican-leaning stance Kennedy has taken throughout his campaign, including when he faced Biden in the Democratic primary earlier this year.
“RFK [Jr.s] “His base is the same as Trump’s, so it’s not a novel idea for him and the former president to use his campaign or potential political position to have a phone call,” said Democratic strategist Amecia Cross.
“RFK Jr. showed us what kind of person he is a while ago and created a MAGA image,” Kloss added. “Trump values loyalty and wants loyalty close to home. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
