Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says former President Donald Trump’s campaign team reached out about the possibility of him becoming Trump’s running mate.
But RFK Jr. says he doesn’t want the job.
“I would not take that job. And I’m flattered that President Trump would offer it to me, but it’s not something that I’m interested in,” he told NewsNation on Monday.
He said that Trump did not reach out himself but people from his team did.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign, disputed the story while blasting RFK Jr. for being a “radical environmentalist.”
“This is 100% FAKE NEWS – NO ONE from the Trump Campaign ever approached RFK jr (or ever will) – one of the most LIBERAL and radical environmentalists in the country,” he wrote on X. “For all the fake news- update your stories.”
Trump has remained overall tight-lipped about his vice presidential shortlist, though he previously said he likes “the concept” of choosing a woman. The online prediction market PredictIt currently puts Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as the top pick for the job, followed by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), and ex-candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Kennedy—who switched from running as a Democrat to as an independent in October—is pushing to get on the ballot in all 50 states, even if it means having to start a new political party or running as a Libertarian party candidate.
As a political outsider, Kennedy has campaigned on a platform of economic priorities designed to bolster America’s middle class, but his past promotion of various conspiracies—including that COVID-19 targeted people by race, the unproven stance that vaccines can cause autism, and that mass shootings are linked to antidepressants—fueled controversy around his run.
Recent general election polling between RFK Jr., Trump, and President Joe Biden on average puts Trump at 37.5%, Biden at 33.8%, and RFK Jr. at 19.3%. While there are more than three candidates currently in the race, RFK’s Jr. polling numbers put him on par with Ross Perot’s independent bids in 1992 and 1996.
