The Post has learned that people close to former President Trump have made preliminary advances to Robert F. Kennedy about potentially running him as his running mate.
“Trump operatives expressed interest in Kennedy early on, but it was all premature,” said a person familiar with the matter, adding that in April 2023, “Bobby announced his presidential bid. It was the exact moment,” he added.
“Anything is possible. We will never write it off,” the source continued.
The 70-year-old Kennedy, who initially ran as a Democrat but is now an independent, has shown no interest and has continued to quash speculation that he would seek a job as a Trump aide. Ta.
“I've heard of the concept. It's not surprising,” Timothy Mellon, who donated at least $5 million to President Kennedy's super PAC, told the Post.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Kennedy's second major donor was Mr. Trump's campaign to draft Mr. Kennedy (the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on the presidential campaign trail in Los Angeles in 1968). He said it is still happening in the area.
“It's a behind-the-scenes work at this stage. You may see it bubble up a bit more as the work progresses,” the donor said. “Bobby can bring new people to the polls.”
Mr. RFK would be an odd bedfellow with Mr. Trump, a prominent anti-vaxxer who famously funded the development of coronavirus vaccines during the pandemic.
But Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, who is still close to the former president, has also promoted the idea, saying in August that the Trump-Kennedy ticket was a “massive landslide.” He said it would produce.
Trump's big wins in Iowa and New Hampshire have made him the party's de facto all but 2024 presidential candidate, sparking speculation about who he will choose for president. .
Prominent names that have recently surfaced include New York State Rep. Elise Stefanik, Sen. Tim Scott (South Carolina), and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
Representatives for Mr. Trump and Mr. Kennedy did not respond to requests for comment from the Post.
