RFK Jr. considering exiting presidential race to endorse Trump, running mate says

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be on the verge of ending his campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump. Kennedy's running mate Nicole Shanahan said in a podcast interview on "Impact Theory" that Kennedy was looking for the most effective way of preventing Vice President Kamala Harris from winning in November.

Trump said he was open to giving Kennedy a job in his administration in exchange for his endorsement.

"I like him a lot," Trump told CNN. "I respect him a lot. I probably would if something like that happened. He's a very different kind of a guy, very smart guy, and yeah, I would be honored by that endorsement."

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Kennedy recently met with Trump, reportedly discussing the possibility he could become the secretary of Health and Human Services in a second Trump administration.

Kennedy is noted for his skepticism about vaccines. His skepticism has drawn criticism from medical experts and various organizations, including the Autism Science Foundation.

"The scientific research has been done and the results are clear – vaccines do not cause autism," the organization said in response to Kennedy. "Some people may choose not to believe the facts, but perpetuating a myth from the very highest levels poses a dangerous threat to public health. Creating a commission makes it look like scientists have not already studied this issue for many years, and it may lead people to think this is still an open question. It is not."

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According to an average of polls from the website 538, Kennedy had his polling numbers drop after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. He now is averaging 4.9% in national polls, behind Harris who is at 46.7% and Trump who is at 43.8%.

No independent candidate has won any Electoral College votes since 1968.