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While it might be too early to predict the runners in the upcoming presidential race, speculation is already rife about possible alliances. It seems even the unthinkable is not off the table, as past President Donald Trump hints at possible partnerships beyond party lines.
Despite the Republican National Convention being more than a year away, the prospect of teaming with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time Democrat, isn’t out of the question for the former president.
Last Thursday, Trump discussed this possibility during a phone conversation with Newsmax host Rob Schmitt. He entertained the concept of an alliance with Kennedy, commending him as ‘an intelligent individual.’
Even though Kennedy isn’t expected to gain significant traction in the Democratic primary, Trump made it clear that he admired his capacities.
When quizzed about the potential impact of Kennedy running on a third-party ticket, Trump seemed open but unsure.
He highlighted how Kennedy had abundant backing within his party, stating, ‘He has strong followers in the Democrat Party.’ This implies any alliance might find favor with a larger base than one might initially anticipate.
According to Trump, a recent poll showed that Kennedy was garnering an impressive 23% support. He added, ‘That’s a significant chunk of votes,’ underscoring the unanticipated support Kennedy seemed to have garnered already.
Schmitt then floated the idea of a Trump-Kennedy ticket, acknowledging the broad appeal of such a combination.
Schmitt even pointed out how the slogan ‘Trump/Kennedy’ would look appealing on campaign materials. However, Trump was quick to clarify that although the idea might sound intriguing, the reality of it happening was less certain.
When asked if he’d considered the possibility, Trump admitted that he hadn’t, but that it was being suggested by others.
Donald Trump professed, ‘I see the same speculations that you do. Without a doubt, many people are proposing this idea.’
He didn’t seem averse to the idea, and even went on to praise Kennedy’s intentions and intelligence: ‘I’ve known him for a while. He’s intelligent and has good intentions, I genuinely believe he has noble intentions.’
In a past interview with Howie Carr, Trump had commended Kennedy, the son of the slain U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
He admitted, ‘He’s a practical guy, just like me,’ and mentioned his positive relationship with Kennedy over the years, ‘He’s treated me well. We’ve maintained a pleasant relationship all these years.’
Trump reaffirmed his support while citing a poll that put Kennedy at a surprising 22%. Praising the result, he said, ‘He’s doing well. Seeing him at 22 is impressive. He’s seriously performing well.’ His endorsement seemed to bring a fresh perspective to Kennedy’s chances in the race.
Earlier, during June, Steve Bannon, the ex-campaign manager of Trump, suggested Kennedy could be an unexpected vice president pick for Trump. Bannon was skeptical of Kennedy’s chances in the Democratic primary, partly attributing it to the reluctance of loyal Democrats to vote for him.
Making sense of the polling numbers, Bannon noted that Kennedy’s supporters comprised individuals desiring change, including those who had voted twice for Obama and some who had supported Trump in 2016.
‘He’s amassing support from those who voted for Obama twice and sought a shift, including several who backed Trump in ’16.’ This, Bannon suggested, indicated an anti-establishment, populist surge that harbored mistrust of the administrative state and the deep state.
Drawing parallels with the dismissal of Trump as a non-serious contender in 2015, Bannon claimed that Kennedy was experiencing a similar setback from both the media and his own party. He argued that history might just repeat itself, with an unlikely candidate gaining traction among the masses.
In Bannon’s view, this underestimation mirrored Trump’s early campaign experience when observers presumed he was leveraging his candidacy to strike a new deal with NBC.
‘That was incorrect,’ Bannon emphatically stated, drawing attention to the anomalies between perception and reality, which have proven surprising in past elections.
Drawing on his past experiences with the Trump campaign, Bannon believed that the same dismissal witnessed by Trump was now being experienced by Kennedy. He noted, ‘There’s something emerging here.
It reminds me of when this guy named Trump was leading something that was just beginning to form.’ This to him signaled a possibility of Kennedy gaining momentum in a manner not dissimilar to Trump.
Bannon concluded by emphasizing that just as Trump was underestimated as a TV personality leveraging political aspiration for personal gains, similar assumptions about Kennedy could prove erroneous.
The message, it seems, is that underestimating a candidacy can be a pitfall, and, as per Bannon, the emerging situation with Kennedy deserves keen attention, hinting at a potentially interesting political phenomenon emerging.