Candidate Kennedy Considers Joining Trump Camp... Will He Hold the 'Casting Vote' in the Tight US Presidential Race?

Learning Mate Shanahan "Trump Joining Also an Option"

Independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., who is preparing to run as a third-party candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, is considering joining forces with former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. With Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and former President Trump locked in a tight race, there is analysis suggesting that Kennedy Jr. could hold the 'casting vote' that shakes up the U.S. presidential election landscape.

On the 20th (local time), Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy Jr.'s running mate and vice-presidential candidate, stated in an interview with the podcast media 'Impact Theory' regarding their future course, "We have two options we are considering." Shanahan is a lawyer and entrepreneur active mainly in Silicon Valley and the ex-wife of Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google.

Shanahan said, "One option is to continue the campaign and create a new third party, which would take more votes from Trump, risking the election of Harris and Walz. The other option is to withdraw from the presidential race and join Trump." However, she added that if they give up running, they would need to explain this to their supporters, making the decision difficult.

Earlier, Kennedy Jr., who left the Democratic Party to declare an independent candidacy, initially showed over 10% support in polls and was considered a key variable that could determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. This was due to voters' fatigue with the elderly President Joe Biden and former President Trump's rematch, leading to a rapid shift of votes toward Kennedy Jr. However, last month, the election lineup changed after President Biden announced he would not run, and Kennedy Jr.'s New York state candidacy was invalidated due to the use of a false address, causing his influence to decline rapidly. His current support rate is around 5%.

In this situation, media reports emerged that Kennedy Jr. proposed a 'withdrawal deal' to Vice President Harris and former President Trump, offering to quit the presidential race in exchange for a key position in their administration if they win. However, it is reported that Vice President Harris rejected Kennedy Jr.'s proposal.

Nonetheless, since Vice President Harris and former President Trump are engaged in a fierce battle in the polls, there is still analysis that if Kennedy Jr. withdraws, which candidate he supports could become a variable that determines the election outcome. According to a poll released on the 18th conducted by The Washington Post (WP) and ABC News with the polling firm Ipsos, in a multi-candidate hypothetical matchup, Vice President Harris received 47% support, former President Trump 44%, and Kennedy Jr. 5%. It is speculated that the direction of the votes supporting Kennedy Jr. could significantly influence the election results.