Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering dropping out of the race and backing former President Donald Trump, according to his running mate, Nicole Shanahan.
During an appearance on the “Impact Theory” podcast, Shanahan discussed how the Kennedy campaign is considering its options.
Shanahan said:
There’s [sic] 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 Walsh presidency because we draw votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump, or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we explain to our base why we’re making this decision.
She also acknowledged that it is “Not an easy decision.”
Shanahan indicated that Kennedy is considering remaining in the race to try to win more than five percent of the popular vote–it would establish him as a third-party alternative to the Republicans and Democrats–and use that momentum for a potential run in 2028.
“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 Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump,” Shanahan explained.
🚨 JUST IN: RFK Jr’s running mate says they’re consider DROPPING OUT and joining forces with President Trump to prevent a Kamala Harris presidency
Yes! DO IT! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/29SXoRPKBj
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 20, 2024
Shanahan’s comments come after news that the Kennedy campaign is experiencing financial difficulties.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sputtering presidential campaign faces dire financial straits after continuing to spend more in July than it raised.
The independent was left with just $3.9 million in the bank at the end of last month — while owing nearly $3.5 million in debt, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. That was after the campaign reported spending more than $7 million in July, despite cutting back on events, while raising just $5.6 million — nearly half of which came from his running mate, Nicole Shanahan.
The new report comes as Kennedy’s campaign faces an array of other challenges; he is still attempting to get on the ballot in key states but was recently denied access in New York, where a judge ruled the residential address on his petitions was not his legitimate home address.
Kennedy has not appeared at a public campaign event since early July, popping up sparingly at conferences and on podcasts. And his standing in the polls has continued to drop with both major parties consolidating support after the Republican National Convention and Vice President Kamala Harris’ replacement of President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.
But as the report continued, it’s something of a mixed message from the campaign; according to reports, Kennedy was recently considering endorsing either Harris or Trump, for a position in their administration:
In recent weeks, Kennedy has reportedly sought positions in potential administrations of both Harris and former President Donald Trump in exchange for his dropping out and endorsing them, but has been rebuffed.
Last Thursday, Kennedy brushed aside the Harris whispers, writing on X: (emphasis added)
VP Harris’s Democratic Party would be unrecognizable to my father and uncle and I cannot reconcile it with my values.
The Democratic Party of RFK and JFK was the party of civil liberties and free speech. VP Harris‘s is the party of censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion.…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 15, 2024
VP Harris’s Democratic Party would be unrecognizable to my father and uncle and I cannot reconcile it with my values.
The Democratic Party of RFK and JFK was the party of civil liberties and free speech. VP Harris‘s is the party of censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion.
Kennedy Democrats were anti-war. Kamala‘s is riddled with neocon warmongers.
The RFK/JFK dems were allies of Main Street, cops, firefighters, and working people. VP Harris’s is the Party of Big Tech, Big Pharma and Wall Street.
My dad and uncle’s party was the champion of voting rights and fair elections. VP Harris’s is the party of lawfare, disenfranchisement, and the coronation of its candidates by corporate donors and party elites.
I’ve used our nation’s courts to prosecute corporations who hurt Black Americans. VP Harris used our nation’s courts to mercilessly prosecute Black Americans and exploit them for their labor.
My father and uncle prided themselves on their skills at debate and their ability to articulate a coherent vision for our country. VP Harris is scared to debate and can’t survive an unscripted interview. Instead of outlining a vision, she relies on middleschool tactics – memes, forged headlines, infantile slogans (Joy!) and name calling (“Republicans are weird.“)
I’ve spent years battling government corruption and lies. VP Harris spent years gaslighting Americans about the health of our Commander in Chief.
I have no plans to endorse Kamala Harris for President. I do have a plan to defeat her.
If RFK Jr. does drop out, the question is: Will this benefit former President Donald Trump more than Vice President Kamala Harris or vice versa?
It’s hard to say. An Economist/YouGov poll conducted in June showed that 44 percent of RFK Jr.’s supporters voted for President Joe Biden in 2020. About 37 percent supported Trump. This could indicate that the Democratic candidate might have an edge.
However, the fact that the Democratic Party’s new presidential nominee, Vice President Harris, is the new standard bearer could further complicate matters. For disaffected Biden voters, Harris might not be quite as attractive as her boss. This could prompt more of these voters to shift to Trump or perhaps stay on the couch on Election Day.
It is also worth noting that if the Economist/YouGov poll is accurate, the prior Trump/Biden supporter numbers aren’t too far apart, so it is also possible that it won’t have much of an effect on the outcome – they would almost cancel each other out. However, Harris’ new candidacy, combined with a Kennedy endorsement of Trump might make a difference for the former president. Still, at this point, it might be more beneficial for Kennedy if he remains in the race,
