A top aide to former president Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of using environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a running mate and poured cold water on reports that members of the candidate’s inner circle made early offers to the Democratic scion.
Senior Trump adviser Chris LaCivita denied that the campaign ever contacted Kennedy and closed the door on doing so in the future to become VP.
“This is 100% FAKE NEWS – NO ONE from the Trump Campaign has ever approached RFK jr (or will) – one of the most LIBERAL and radical environmentalists in the country. For all the fake news- update your story,” LaCivita captioned X Saturday.
Earlier in the day, The Post reported that individuals close to Trump had contacted Kennedy, who is now running as an independent candidate for president.
“The Trump operatives expressed their interest in Kennedy early on, but it was all too early,” a person familiar with the matter told The Post, insisting it was “right out of the box when Bobby announced.”
Kennedy launched his presidential campaign as a Democrat in April last year but switched to Independent in October.
Since then, he has claimed a place on several general election state ballots, including most recently in New Hampshire.
Democrats have downplayed the possibility of Robert F Kennedy Jr. could be damaging to President Biden.
Some prominent figures in the MAGA world such as Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, have publicly entertained the idea of the 45th president working with him.
Back in August of last year while the Kennedy scion was still raising bids as a Democrat, Bannon suggested that a Trump-Kennedy ticket would “win in a huge landslide.”
Bannon is not directly linked to the Trump campaign.
Trump, 77, the front-runner for the GOP presidency, made headlines earlier this month when he revealed he had someone in mind to be his number two.
“The people I think I like are very nice people, pretty standard. I don’t think people will be surprised, but I would say there’s a 25% chance of that person,” Trump teased.
The former president himself publicly praised Kennedy, 70, last year — again while he was still running as a Democrat, calling him “a smart man.”
While forming his administration after winning the 2016 election, Trump considered asking him to lead a vaccine safety commission, but that never materialized.
Kennedy, the son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy who was shot during his 1968 presidential campaign, was very skeptical of certain vaccines. Critics accuse him of peddling an anti-vaccine conspiracy.
The 70-year-old’s family members have publicly criticized his campaign and endorsed President Joe Biden in 2024.
Donald Trump has been tight-lipped about who he intends to pick as vice president. Aces / SplashNews.com
Still, Kennedy has gained significant support in several national polls, which could make him the first independent presidential candidate to make a debate since 1992.
Currently, Kennedy has 15.8% support, trailing behind Biden at 36.2%, and Trump at 39% in the RealClearPolitics aggregate of national polls.
The Post contacted the Kennedy campaign for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
