Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for presidency, urged independent contender Robert F Kennedy Jr to support his campaign in a phone call last Sunday, confirmed by Mr Kennedy and a posted video on social media. “Your support would greatly benefit you and your standing,” Trump was heard saying over speakerphone in the video, likely hinting at the 2024 election.
“We’re set to win,” Trump then declared, to which Kennedy responded affirmatively. “We’re ahead of our opponent,” Trump further stated, referring to the current Democratic president, Joe Biden.
Supporters of Kennedy span the entire political spectrum, from liberal to conservative to independent. Some polls indicate that he could potentially pull voters from Trump as well as Biden.
Furthermore, Trump discussed an assassination attempt on Kennedy that occurred on Saturday, likening the bullet that struck his ear to “a mammoth – akin to the largest mosquito in the world.”
Trump spoke positively of Biden’s call to him after the incident, stating, “It was quite pleasant, really.” The phone call also included discussions about vaccines, reflecting some of Kennedy’s previous stance. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has perpetuated vaccine misinformation over the years.
“Noting a dramatic change in a baby after feeding it a vaccine equivalent to 38 separate doses, which seems more suitable for a horse than an infant…and then claiming no impact, this is what we previously conversed about, Bobby,” Trump stated.
Following the release of the phone call on social media, Kennedy apologised to Trump on social network X, previously known as Twitter. He wrote, “While the president’s call was being recorded by an in-house videographer, I should have instructed them to cease filming. I’m appalled that this was published.”
The day before, Kennedy had posted on X about his meeting with Trump, writing “National unity was our central point of discussion, something I aim to discuss with Democratic leaders. No, I’m not dropping out of the race.”
The Democratic Party perceives Mr Kennedy as an obstacle in the elections, which they believe could potentially tip the scales in favour of Mr Trump. Initially, Mr Kennedy commenced his campaign as a Democratic candidate before announcing his independence. This action has been deemed by the Democrats as a move that might detract votes from Mr Biden and consequently bolster Mr Trump’s chances of securing the presidency.
Matt Corridoni, the spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), commented on X that Mr Kennedy had attended a dinner with Tucker Carlson, a well-known conservative political commentator, during the ongoing Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In the words of Lis Smith, DNC Communications Advisor, Mr Kennedy’s chances of winning are negligible and his participation in the race is doing nothing other than threatening to turn the tides in Trump’s favour.
A response is yet to be received from the Kennedy’s campaign team after seeking their comment on these allegations. (Source: Reuters)