Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, said in a new interview that the Kennedy and Shanahan campaigns face a choice between staying in the presidential race — which would be a “risk” to help Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris win — or withdrawing to “join forces” with former President Donald Trump.
It’s a blunt admission after months of criticism from Democrats that Kennedy’s campaign seemed more interested in helping Trump than waging a truly independent bid for president, while the campaign continues to lose money despite millions in cash injections from Shanahan himself.
During a new interview with the podcast “Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu,” Shanahan criticized the Democratic Party for trying to “sabotage” her campaign, adding that “one of the biggest mistakes of my life” was her early support for the Democrats. Shanahan admitted that she “recognizes how bad things are,” and said that “we could technically win,” as she mused on the path the campaign should take after a period of setbacks.
“We are taking a very serious decision to ensure that the people who have corrupted our fair and free democracy do not come to power in November,” Shanahan said.
“The question is, you know, is the risk of a Harris-Walz presidency worth staying in?” she continued. “And that’s the question we have to ask ourselves now. One: Do we trust Trump and his personal sincerity to actually 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 invite people like Bobby and me into the conversation, or is he going to be a victim of the same things that he fell victim to in his first administration?”
Shanahan noted that the campaign could lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, new political party if it gets enough votes in November. However, he also indicated that there is an internal debate going on within the campaign.
“We’re looking at two options. One is to stay and form a new party. We run the risk of Kamala Harris and Walz becoming president because we’re taking votes away from Trump, or somehow taking more votes away from Trump,” she said.
“Or we step down right now and join forces with Donald Trump. And you know what, we step away from that and explain to our supporters 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 achieve the goals I have served for 40 years.” In a subsequent post, he said that while the “Democratic Party positions itself as the party of freedom,” “this is like an arsonist telling us he is a firefighter.”
And 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 won after Kennedy’s endorsement.
Shanahan’s comments come as Kennedy’s campaign has been out of public view for the past month and more, holding few events and falling significantly in the polls. It has also faced obstacles to accessing the ballot box in states like New York, where a judge sided with a Democratic-leaning group seeking to bar him from the ballot box.
The Democratic National Committee, which has launched a campaign against Kennedy and other third-party candidates, immediately issued a statement condemning Shanahan’s comments.
“In one interview alone, she introduced RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services in a Trump administration, discussed her interest in running for governor of California in 2026, admitted that the Kennedy-Shanahan campaign has no path to victory, and raised the possibility of working with Trump to defeat Vice President Harris,” said DNC communications adviser Lis Smith.
“From the beginning of this race, we have said that RFK Jr. is nothing more than a spoiler for Donald Trump, and we are glad his running mate is finally admitting that,” Smith continued.
This isn’t the first time someone involved with the campaign has floated the idea of helping Trump. Earlier this year, the campaign fired a staffer who was captured on camera saying her top priority was to “fight Biden” and floated the idea that Kennedy would help deprive Democrats of the Electoral College votes needed to win the election. The campaign denied those comments at the time.
At a protest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago organized by the pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values 2024, supporters were surprised by Shanahan’s comments and feared his campaign might be ending.
Kyle Kemper, a Kennedy superfan who has spent much of the past year traveling the country in his homemade Kennedy bus, said he would be “heartbroken” if Kennedy joined Trump and became enraged when discussed the implications of Shanahan’s comments.
“Bobby stood up for independence and if you’re having trouble fundraising, do a better job fundraising! Nicole Shanahan has resources. Don’t give up in the fourth quarter,” he said. “If he does, he’ll go back on his own words.”
Kemper said he understood the strategic justification for working out an arrangement with Trump that could give Kennedy a position in the campaign or administration — but that Kennedy should not “sell his soul.”
“Don’t make a pact with the devil!” said Kemper.[Trump] Bobby could promise something, but you think he’s a man of integrity and a man of his word? No. He’ll stab you in the back. He’ll kick you out of the room. He’ll say what he has to say.”
But Kennedy received support from a variety of ideological positions, some of which were more sympathetic.
Angela Wulbrecht, a California nurse who opposed vaccine mandates after having an adverse reaction to the Covid-19 shot, said she has been a lifelong Democrat and supports all of the party’s core values but feels “abandoned” by a party that has “gaslighted” her over vaccines.
“I never thought I would ever be able to vote for Trump, but it could happen. [Kennedy]“He’s the only one who could even make me think about it,” she said. “But until I hear it from him, I don’t really know what to think.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
