Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is mired in another scandal, as he floated the idea of endorsing Donald Trump’s presidency in exchange for a future job at the White House, four sources told the Washington Post. According to the anonymous sources, Kennedy, the independent presidential candidate, hoped to manage a slate of health and medical issues.
The conversations reportedly began just hours after a would-be assassin targeted Trump on July 13, but did not result in an agreement. One source who knows both men said that he contacted Kennedy on Saturday evening and the two men spoke that night before eventually meeting face-to-face in Milwaukee the next week.
While in Milwaukee, Trump and Kennedy discussed potential Cabinet jobs and other posts that don’t require Senate confirmation. Kennedy raised the possibility of dropping his election bid and endorsing Trump, despite having publicly bashed him in the past.
Members of the Trump team, however, were concerned that the arrangement could cause thorny legal and optics issues. Not to mention, Kennedy is a well-documented vaccine skeptic, and some are worried that his stance could cause problems for the campaign.
Despite reportedly lobbying for a position related to healthcare, Kennedy promised to slash funding for federal agencies that regulate vaccines early in his campaign. He seems eager, however, to tackle the topic from within.
“All I will say to you is I am willing to talk to anybody from either political party who wants to talk about children’s health and how to end the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said in an interview on Monday. He praised Trump for reaching out to him and lamented the fact that he has never heard from Democratic leadership.
Trump and Kennedy have discussed vaccination prior to their rendezvous in Milwaukee. A leaked phone call between the two from the night of the attempted assassination shows the former president appearing to sympathize with his opponent’s stance.
Though there was no clear conclusion to the conversation in Milwaukee — a Trump spokesperson simply said that Trump speaks “regularly with important figures in business and politics” — the quid-quo-pro appears to violate the law.
Under section 599 of title 18 in the U.S. Legal Code, it’s illegal for a candidate to “directly or indirectly” promise a future job or position “for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy.”
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