Trump courts RFK Jr's support in leaked phone call

[July 17, 2024]  By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested to Robert F. Kennedy Jr that the independent presidential candidate could do something to support the Trump campaign, according to a video of a phone call on Sunday posted on social media and confirmed by Kennedy.

"I would love you to do something – and I think it would be so good for you and so big for you," Trump can be heard saying via speaker phone in the video, apparently referring to the 2024 election race.

"We're gonna win," Trump said, after which Kennedy said, "Yeah."

"We're way ahead of the guy," Trump added, referring to Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden.

Kennedy supporters range across the political spectrum, from liberal to conservative to independent, and some polls show he would draw voters from Trump and Biden both.

Trump also spoke to Kennedy about Saturday's assassination attempt, saying that the bullet that hit his ear "felt like a giant - like the world's largest mosquito."

Of Biden's phone call with Trump after the assassination attempt, Trump said, "It was very nice actually."

Trump's phone call with Kennedy also included a conversation about vaccines, which echoed some of Kennedy's earlier views. The environmental lawyer has spread misinformation on vaccines for years.

"When you feed a baby, Bobby," Trump said, "a vaccination that is like 38 different vaccines, and it looks like it's meant for a horse, not a, you know, 10-pound or 20-pound baby... and then you see the baby all of a sudden starting to change radically.

"And then you hear that it doesn't have an impact, right? But you and I talked about that a long time ago."

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addresses the Libertarian Party's national convention in Washington, U.S., May 24, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

After the call spread on social media, Kennedy on Tuesday apologized to Trump on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. "When President Trump called me I was taping with an in-house videographer," he wrote. "I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted."

A day earlier, Kennedy posted on X about meeting with Trump, writing, "Our main topic was national unity, and I hope to meet with Democratic leaders about that as well. No, I am not dropping out of the race."

The Democratic Party views Kennedy, who began the race as a Democratic candidate before declaring himself independent, as an election "spoiler" who would take votes away from Biden and in effect help Trump win the White House.

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni said on X that Kennedy also had dinner with conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson at the Republican National Convention, taking place in Milwaukee this week.

"He (Kennedy) has no path to victory in this race and is nothing more than a spoiler for Trump," said DNC Communications Adviser Lis Smith.

The Kennedy campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman)

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