Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate Nicole Shanahan revealed in a Tuesday interview that the campaign may drop its bid and “join forces” with former President Trump, as the independent candidate’s campaign contemplates its next moves, Axios reported.
What the Silicon Valley attorney described as "not an easy decision," carries significant weight because recent polling shows that RFK Jr.’s presence in the race is harming Trump more than it’s affecting Harris.
Shanahan’s admission comes after RFK Jr. faced significant legal woes with ballot access after a judge disqualified him from the New York state’s ballot because he falsely claimed residency.
Kennedy’s running mate also told the Impact Theory podcast that the campaign might consider staying in the race to win more than 5% of the popular vote and establish itself as a formidable alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties — hence, building on ballot access for the 2028 election.
"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," Shanahan told interviewer Tom Bilyeu, NBC News reported. "Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump ... and explain to our base why we're making this decision."
Kennedy himself hasn’t declared exact plans, however, he did post on X Tuesday saying: "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."
In a leaked phone call during the Republican National Convention, the former president told Kennedy that he’d “love” it if the independent candidate could “do something” with his campaign.
RFK’s VP Nicole Shanahan says they are debating whether to stay in the race or drop out and join forces with Trump:
— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) August 20, 2024
“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 Waltz presidency because we… pic.twitter.com/O3HrLbbCLO
