RFK Jr. attempted to arrange meeting with Harris, sources say

Independent longshot presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approached the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris last week to discuss the possibility of serving in her administration if she were to win the presidential race in November, two sources familiar with the situation told CBS News.

Harris and her advisers have not responded with an offer to meet or shown interest in the proposal, according to one of those sources.

"No one has any intention of negotiating with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement," the source said.

Stefanie Spear, a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign, told CBS News in a statement Wednesday that "Mr. Kennedy is willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government."

However, on Thursday, Kennedy posted on X , "I have no plans to endorse Kamala Harris for President. I do have a plan to defeat her." He went on to say that Harris' Democratic Party "would be unrecognizable to my father and uncle and I cannot reconcile it with my values" and accused her of leading a party "censorship, lockdowns, and medical coercion." He also adopted Republican attack lines in accusing her of being "scared to debate" and unable to "survive an unscripted interview."

The Washington Post first reported the attempted meeting.

Although Kennedy continues his efforts to get on the ballot in every state and has scheduled multiple upcoming campaign events, the independent candidate told the Post in an interview Wednesday that he believes it was a "mistake" for the Harris campaign not to take the meeting.

"I think it is a strategic mistake for them. That's my perspective," Kennedy said. "I think they ought to be looking at every opportunity. I think it is going to be a very close race."

The attempt to arrange a meeting with Harris follows an in-person discussion between Kennedy and former President Donald Trump in July at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Following his July 15 meeting with Trump, Kennedy wrote on social media, "Lots of rumors going around about my meeting this morning with President Trump. Our main topic was national unity, and I hope to meet with Democratic leaders about that as well. No, I am not dropping out of the race."

Kennedy is on the ballot as an independent in a growing number of states — Alaska, Delaware, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. He's also on the ballot in California as the nominee of the American Independent Party, and in Hawaii, on his We the People ticket. Combined, those states add up to just over 200 electoral votes.

But New York is denying Kennedy access to the ballot, based on his residency claim.

— Nidia Cavazos and Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.