Trump courts RFK Jr's support in leaked phone call
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[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."
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![](../images/071724PIX/news_z56.jpg)
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
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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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