As Donald Trump cruises to the GOP presidential nomination after winning the first two Republican primaries, speculation has turned to who he may pick as his running mate.
But those in the former president’s orbit reportedly made ‘early on’ attempts to recruit a surprising contender – former Democratic candidate RFK Jr.
The now-Independant presidential candidate caught the Trump campaign’s eye ‘right out of the box when Bobby announced’ his run for the White House in April 2023, insiders told the New York Post.
‘Trump operatives expressed an interest in Kennedy early on, but it was all premature,’ they said. Despite the unlikely combination, the source clarified: ‘Anything’s possible. I wouldn’t write it off by any means.’
While Kennedy may not be out of the running, Trump cryptically told voters earlier this month that he has already picked his running mate – but refused to name names.
Robert F Kennedy Jr. was reportedly approached by Trump’s campaign ‘early on’ in the election cycle, with an insider saying they ‘wouldn’t rule it out’
Trump teased earlier this month that he has already decided who he will choose as his running mate, but declined to name names amid fervent speculation
Kennedy initially ran for the Democratic nomination in the spring of last year, but dropped out and ran as an independent in October as he argued the system was rigged to automatically nominate President Biden.
While a political outsider that has never held public office, Kennedy’s campaign has surprised analysts as he increasingly looks to become a ‘spoiler’ candidate to the two-party system.
Recent polls have found Kennedy pulls upwards of 20 percent support nationwide in a hypothetical general election.
However, as pollsters found that his Libertarian platform would pull more from Trump’s base than Biden’s in a close race, it is no great surprise Trump’s team may look to recruit him.
A significant donor who has funded both Trump and Kennedy’s campaign told the Post that the possibility of a Trump – RFJ Jr. ticket remains on the table.
‘It’s very much behind the scenes at this stage. As we progress you might see it bubble up a little bit more,’ the donor said.
‘Bobby can bring new people to the polls.’
Timothy Mellon, a megadonor who has funneled at least $5 million to Kennedy’s SuperPAC, added: ‘I’ve heard the concept. It’s not surprising.’
The idea of Kennedy appearing on the ballot with Trump was previously floated by former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who chimed in in August that the hypothetical ticket would end in a ‘massive landslide’ for Trump.
While Kennedy may remain a far-fetched running mate candidate, a slew of other names have been floated as potential VPs.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (left) has been floated as a potential Trump running mate after he dropped out of the Republican primaries
North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has frequently been seen as a potential option, although an alleged cheating scandal revealed by DailyMail.com may have hurt her chances
Trump’s former press secretary and current Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been a loyal ally of the former president
Following businessman Vivek Ramaswamy’s exit from the Republican primaries, the firebrand conservative emerged as a potential option for the former president.
As Trump won the New Hampshire primary, Ramaswamy’s speech praising the frontrunner was met with chants of ‘VP, VP, VP’ from Trump’s crowd.
‘He’s going to be working with us for a long time,’ Trump responded to the reception.
Another name that has frequently been floated is Trump’s former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Now the Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee Sanders has remained a loyal Trump ally during his time out of office – and fits the bill as many analysts believe Trump needs to recruit a female running mate to help his numbers with female voters.
North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s chances took a hit late last year, however, as DailyMail.com exclusively revealed her affair with Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
The married governor, 51, was seen as a prime VP pick due to her ‘family values’ platform – but may have dropped down the running mate rankings after the bombshell report.