Is RFK Jr truly independent?
Al JazeeraJul 22
RFK Jr. May Drop Out of Race and Endorse Trump, Running Mate Says
Above: Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes a campaign announcement at a press conference on October 9, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Image copyright: Jessica Kourkounis/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
In an interview posted Monday, the running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nicole Shanahan, said that Kennedy is considering dropping out of the race in order to "join forces with Donald Trump." Kennedy will reportedly make an address Friday regarding his political future.
Shanahan said that they are also mulling staying in the race and forming a "new party," but that they may "draw more votes from Trump" and increase the odds of Democrat Kamala Harris winning the election. Shanahan blamed the Democratic Party for turning their ticket "into a spoiler."
The Spin
Republican narrative
This is heartening news for Republicans, as the RFK Jr. campaign wakes up to the fact that the Democratic Party is the biggest threat to freedom, as they try mercilessly to shut down the Kennedy-Shanahan campaign. The Kennedy-Shanahan ticket deserves plaudits for acknowledging that a Harris presidency would be a disaster and that Trump would welcome independent-minded voters into the fold.
Democratic narrative
The mask is finally off on the Kennedy campaign, as they finally admit that they are far from independent or authentically populist and instead seek to aid the Republicans in November. Kennedy has ceaselessly attempted to court the support of the Trump campaign, as his running mate also says that Trump would be better for the country than Harris. The third-party guise is fooling no one, as Kennedy inches closer to a Trump endorsement and potential future Trump-aligned role.
Narrative C
Kennedy's potential dropout doesn't speak to the weakness of his campaign but to its strength. The fact that an independent, grass-roots movement has brought the Democrats and Republicans to the table to vie for his support goes to show the power that a third party can wield. The Kennedy campaign is about solutions, not partisanship, and they will work with whoever will commit to making the country better.