Nicole Shanahan says RFK Jr. campaign considering joining forces with Trump
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Nicole Shanahan speaks during an event in Oakland, Calif. on March 26. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate Nicole Shanahan said in an interview out Tuesday that the campaign is considering dropping its bid and joining forces with former President Trump as it weighs its options for the future.
Why it matters: Her remarks come as Kennedy's longshot independent bid is losing money and facing legal challenges to ballot access. He has also slowed his public schedule.
Driving the news: "There's two options that we're looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump," Shanahan said on the Impact Theory podcast.
- "Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump ... and explain to our base why we're making this decision."
- "Not an easy decision," she added.
State of play: The Kennedy campaign has drawn concern from both major parties about its possibility of playing a spoiler role in November.
- But recent polling since Vice President Harris entered the presidential race shows that Kennedy may pose a greater risk to Trump in November.
- Shanahan said in the interview the question is whether "the risk of a Harris-Walz presidency" is "worth us staying."
What he's saying: Kennedy said in a post on X Tuesday that "as always, I am willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further the goals I have served for 40 years in my career and in this campaign."
Between the lines: A leaked phone call during the Republican National Convention last month showed the former president saying he would "love" for Kennedy to "do something" with his campaign.
- Kennedy apologized over the leaked video and reaffirmed his commitment to staying in the race.
Zoom in: The Kennedy campaign struggled to adjust to the upended race when Harris become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
- The campaign's FEC report for July shows that they are still burning through cash. The Kennedy campaign ended July with $3.9 million cash on hand, down from the $5.5 million in June.
- The campaign raised $5.6 million in July, compared to $5.4 million in June, and spent $7.2 million, up from the $6.2 million they spent in June.
More from Axios:
- RFK Jr. struggles in upended 2024 race
- Trump says he's open to appointing RFK Jr. to administration role
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Kennedy and other details.
