Former President Donald Trump reportedly met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday to broach the possibility of the independent presidential candidate endorsing him, Politico reported Monday, citing multiple people familiar with the matter.
The Kennedy campaign confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the two presidential candidates met to “discuss national unity,” though stopped shorted of corroborating reporting that Trump had sought Kennedy’s endorsement. Kennedy campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear reiterated to the DCNF that Kennedy would not be dropping out of the race.
“Yes, Mr. Kennedy met with President Trump today to discuss national unity, and he hopes to meet with leaders of the Democratic Party as well,” Spear said in a statement to the DCNF. “And no he is not dropping out of the race. He is the only pro-environment, pro-choice, anti-war candidate who beats Donald Trump in head-to-head polls.”
Kennedy is pulling an average of 13% in presidential polls as of July 15, according to an aggregate of polls put together by RealClear Polling. It is unclear what effect Kennedy’s continued candidacy will have on the race for the White House as some polls show him harming President Joe Biden’s performance in key swing states, while others show Kennedy drawing votes from Trump.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, attempted to assassinate Trump at a political rally on Saturday, killing one attendee in the process and seriously wounding two others. The instance of political violence spurred calls for increased security for presidential candidates, with a bipartisan group of House members announcing on Sunday that they planned to file legislation that would enhance Secret Service protections for Trump and Biden while also providing a security detail for Kennedy, who had previously been denied security by the Biden administration, according to Axios.
Trump called for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection at 11:40 a.m. on Monday on Truth Social. It is unclear if the former president’s request came before or after the meeting.
“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately,” Trump wrote. “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!”
The Department of Homeland Security announced Secret Service protection would be granted to Kennedy hours later.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
