Robert Kennedy Jr. is committed to staying in the 2024 U.S. presidential race as a third-party candidate, and isn't interested in becoming the vice president pick for Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
What Happened: According to Kennedy Jr., Trump's campaign team reached out to him about a potential vice-president role.
Trump strategist Chis LaCivita denied the claim on social media.
When Variety asked Kennedy Jr. about the potential of being Trump's vice-presidential candidate, the lawyer and politician responded, "I don't think that my marriage would survive it.”
Kennedy Jr. made the comments at a press event for the season 12 premiere of "Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a show in which his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, has a recurring role.
"I think he's right," Hines said.
Kennedy Jr. and Hines married in 2014. The marriage is the third for Kennedy Jr. and second for Hines.
Kennedy Jr. answered "yeah" when asked if he just wanted to run for president.
Related Link: Can A Biden-Haley Ticket Beat Trump? An Unorthodox Option For President As He Falls In 2024 Election Polls
Why It's Important: After previously running as a Democrat, Kennedy Jr.'s bid as a third-party candidate could take votes from the Republican and Democratic presidential picks, with appeal to both sides of the political spectrum.
Recent polls from Morning Consult show that if Nikki Haley wins the Republican nomination, Biden could have an easier time winning the 2024 presidential election, with more people choosing to vote third-party.
The poll of voters in seven swing states found that at least 19% or higher selected "Someone Else" in each state when asked to pick between Biden and Haley. A similar poll of Biden against Trump found fewer people choosing the "Someone Else" option.
Political analysts and experts believe Kennedy Jr. could have a strong performance for a third-party candidate compared to recent history. The big question remains which other candidate's election odds he could hurt the most.
A Politico report highlights that donors to Kennedy Jr. are previous donors to Trump. This could suggest a problem for the former president. From October to December, Kennedy Jr. raised $7 million from donors according to the report. His team also spent $7.7 million during the same time frame.
With Kennedy Jr. ruling out a run for vice president, the number of interested parties continues to shrink. Candidates who previously ran for the GOP nomination have mostly been disinterested. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis both said they didn't want the role. Haley also is less likely of a pick to run with Trump after their current fierce battle.
Prediction market Polymarket has Elise Stefanik, Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy as the front-runners to become Trump's vice president pick.
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