The new alliance between former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) was almost derailed amid negotiations brokered by Tucker Carlson. The idea for a partnership between Trump and Kennedy was spurred by the assassination attempt on the former President’s and began with a phone call from Kennedy’s healthcare adviser, Calley Means. She asked if the former Democrat was willing to speak with Trump, or even to stand as his Vice Presidential running mate.
Mr. Kennedy initially refused to consider the proposition, but his position softened amid ongoing discussions with former Fox host Carlson and Trump campaign manager Susie Wiles. Means urged Carlson to persuade the parties to negotiate, and he soon shared a WhatsApp group with Trump and Kennedy, who spoke behind the scenes for weeks before Mr. Kennedy finally publicly declared his support for Mr. Trump, removed his name from the ballot in several states, and joined the former President at an Arizona rally.
In exchange for his support, Donald Trump has pledged to release all classified documents pertaining to John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 and establish a commission on political assassinations named after the former Democratic President. He also promised to allow Mr. Kennedy to investigate food and vaccines and to “make America healthy again.”
Trump and Kennedy have spent years criticizing each other, and early in the 2024 Presidential campaign, Mr. Trump fiercely condemned RFK as a “liberal lunatic.” While such prior insults were brushed aside, a more significant obstacle remained, one that threatened to derail the alliance altogether. Kennedy had previously stated that his wife, a staunch Democrat, would never support a partnership with Donald Trump, and he told Tucker Carlson it was, therefore, a “non-starter.”
Kennedy’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines, softened her stance and publicly stated that she supported her husband’s decision. Mr. Kennedy responded by thanking his wife while making it clear that she does not support Donald Trump.
Other members of the Kennedy dynasty were not so forgiving, and the candidate’s siblings issued a joint statement condemning their brother’s choice. The Kennedys said their brother’s relationship with Trump betrayed everything their father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, stood for throughout his political career.
