Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy requested a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss a potential role for him in an upcoming Harris Presidency. Reports indicate that Kennedy offered his endorsement in exchange for a cabinet position, but the Vice President did not respond. Mr. Kennedy also met with former President Donald Trump earlier this year, which aides said was to discuss “national unity.” Spokesperson Stefanie Spear told reporters at the time that Kennedy had no intention of withdrawing from the race. However, more recent reports indicated that he is now open to the idea.
Despite these rumors, Mr. Kennedy posted a lengthy message to social media attacking the Democratic Party as a party of “neocon warmongers” and “censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion.” He finished his post by saying he has no plans to endorse Kamala Harris, but he does have a plan to defeat her. “VP Harris spent years gaslighting Americans about the health of our Commander in Chief,” he wrote.
Mr. Kennedy decided to run for President as an independent after the Democrats refused to allow competitors to stand in primaries against President Biden. His open attacks on his former party come as his polling numbers dip and Kamala Harris’s rise.
Prior to President Biden’s withdrawal from the White House race, Kennedy enjoyed double-digit support, hovering around 14%. Since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, however, his polling figures have dropped significantly. A New York Times/Siena survey in late July placed Kennedy in third place with just 6%, and a Wall Street Journal poll around the same time afforded him 4%.
Some analysts suggest Kennedy’s numbers have fallen partly because of enthusiasm for Vice President Harris and partly because of his policy positions, which many voters may believe are too radical. David Richards, associate professor and chair of the Political Science program at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, said people were attracted to Kennedy when they did not want a Trump – Biden rematch, but now that Harris is in the race, voters have the option of opting for a “less radical” candidate.
