Drop and go back to Trump or “risk” a Harris win

Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, said in a new interview that the Kennedy-Shanahan campaign faces a choice between staying in the presidential race — which would “risk” defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris — or dropping out to “join forces” with former President Donald Trump with.

After months of criticism from Democrats, it’s a blunt admission that Kennedy’s campaign seemed more about helping Trump than running a genuinely independent presidential race. And it comes as the campaign continues to bleed money despite multi-million dollar cash injections from Shanahan himself.

In a new interview on the “Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu” podcast, Shanahan blasted the Democratic Party for trying to “sabotage” their campaign, adding that “one of the biggest mistakes of my life” was his past support for Democrats. Admitting that he “acknowledged how bad things are,” Shanahan said that “technically we could win” as he reflected on the campaign’s progress after setbacks.

“We are very serious about making sure that people who have corrupted our fair and free democracy do not end up in office in November,” Shanahan said.

“The question is, is the risk of a Harris-Walz presidency worth our stay?” he continued. “And that’s the question we have to ask ourselves right now. One: Do we trust Trump and his personal integrity to really do the right thing for our country, to end chronic disease, to balance the budget, to end these perpetual wars. Is he someone who is going to continue to call Bobby and people like me into the conversation, or will he fall victim again to the things he fell victim to in his first administration?”

While Shanahan noted that the campaign could lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, new political party if it gets enough votes in November, Shanahan placed a closer focus on the internal debate the campaign faces.

“There are two options that we’re looking at, and one is to stick around and start a new party, but the risk is a Kamala Harris-Walz presidency because we’re going to draw votes from Trump or somehow get more votes from Trump,” he said.

“Or we’ll walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump. And, you know, we’ll walk away from it and explain to our base why we’re making this decision.”

Hours after the interview was published, Kennedy posted on X that he was willing to talk to leaders of any political party to advance the causes I have served for 40 years. In a later message, he said that while “the Democratic Party positions itself as the party of freedom,” “this is like an arsonist telling us he’s a fireman.”

Later on Tuesday, Trump told CNN in an interview in Michigan that he would “probably” consider giving Kennedy a position in his administration if he wins after Kennedy’s endorsement.

Shanahan’s comments come as the Kennedy campaign has faded from the public eye over the past month, holding few events and dropping significantly in the polls. It has also faced barriers to ballot access in states like New York, where a judge defended a Democratic group’s request to have it removed from the ballot.

The Democratic National Committee, which has campaigned against Kennedy and other third-party candidates, immediately issued a statement condemning Shanahan’s comments.

“In just one interview, he tapped RFK Jr. to be HHS secretary in the Trump administration, discussed his interest in running for governor of California in 2026, acknowledged that the Kennedy-Shanahan campaign has no path to victory, and floated the possibility of joining forces with Trump to defeat Vice President Harris,” DNC communications adviser Lis Smith said.

“Since the beginning of this race, we’ve said that RFK Jr. is nothing but a spoiler for Donald Trump, and we’re glad that his running mate is finally admitting that,” Smith continued.

This isn’t the first time someone associated with the campaign has thought about helping Trump. Earlier this year, the campaign fired a staffer caught on camera saying his top priority was “opposing Biden,” and introduced a Kennedy concept that helped rob Democrats of the Electoral College votes needed to win the election. At the time, the campaign banned those comments.

At a rally in Chicago against the Democratic National Convention organized by the pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values ​​2024, supporters were stunned by Shanahan’s comments and grappled with the possible end of his campaign.

Kyle Kemper, a Kennedy superfan who has devoted much of the past year to touring the country in his homemade Kennedy bus, said he would be “heartbroken” if Kennedy joined Trump and became angry as he spoke about the impact of Shanahan’s comments.

“Bobby is committed to independence and if you have challenges in fundraising, do a better job in fundraising! Nicole Shanahan has resources. Don’t give up in the fourth quarter,” he said. “If he does, he’s going back on his own words.”

Kemper said he understands the strategic rationale for an arrangement with Trump that could give Kennedy some sort of position in the campaign or administration — but Kennedy shouldn’t “sell his soul.”

“Don’t make a deal with the devil!” Kemper said. “[Trump] could you promise Bobby something, but do you think he’s honest and a man of his word? No. He stabs you in the back. He kicks you out of the room. He says what he needs.”

But Kennedy has support from a variety of ideological angles, and some were more sympathetic.

Angela Wulbrecht, a California nurse who opposed vaccination mandates after having an adverse reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine, said she is a lifelong Democrat who supports all of the party’s core beliefs — but that she feels “abandoned” by a party that “lit the gas.” he is on vaccines.

“I never in a million years thought I could vote for Trump, but I might [Kennedy]. He is the only one who can even make me consider it, he said. “But until I hear it from his own mouth, I really don’t know what to think.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com