Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to arrange a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris to secure a place in her administration or a cabinet post in exchange for an endorsement, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Post first reported that Kennedy made the overture through intermediaries, just weeks after he proposed as similar arrangement to former President Donald Trump after the Republican National Convention last month. The pair spoke about the plan, but did not reach an agreement on the matter.
Harris has not responded with an offer to meet and her campaign has expressed no interest to do so, the Post added.
“We’ve reached out repeatedly through the highest level intermediaries,” Kennedy told the Times, which confirmed the reporting, on Wednesday night. “We’ve been told that they have no interest in talking with me.”
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File
Kennedy has faced a string of defeats, political and in the press, in recent weeks. He sparked headlines after admitting to dumping a dead bear cub in New York’s Central Park a decade ago. A judge also ruled that he had falsely claimed New York residence on his nomination petitions, invalidating the documentation needed to appear on the ballot there in November.
The Times added that while he had been seen as a potential spoiler in the race, polling shows his edge slipping into the low single-digits and his campaign has struggled to bring in cash. He added to the Post that he hopes Harris reconsiders his offer, saying he believes it will be a “very close race” in November and she will need his support.
“I’ve always argued that we should be willing to talk with each other across party lines,” he told the Post on Wednesday. “I’m willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government.”