Trump ‘liked how Trump-Kennedy sounded’ – and considered making RFK Jr his running mate

Donald Trump “liked how Trump-Kennedy sounded” on the Republican presidential ticket and considered making Robert F Kennedy Jr his running mate, according to reports.

Before Kennedy dropped out of the race and backed Trump for president on August 23, the two men had been smearing one another throughout the election campaign.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, members of both camps had been working for weeks, some even months, to unite them as one political force, The New York Times reports.

Trump has “long been fascinated by the allure of the Kennedy name”, sources toldthe Times, and the former president had considered naming Kennedy as his running mate as recently as April.

With Kennedy still in the race, his presence on the ballot had the potential to harm the Trump campaign, particularly in the 10 battleground states, and they were ready to put up a fight by running negative ads about him throughout the summer.

The assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Butler on 13 July changed everything, and a phone call between the two men was brokered by Calley Means, a healthcare entrepreneur who had previously advised Kennedy on chronic disease policy, according to the newspaper.

Kennedy reportedly turned down the vice-presidency at first – though it is unclear if the offer was serious – but had a change of heart and wanted to speak with the former presidentfollowing the assassination attempt.

The call – mere hours after Trump was shot – came at “a moment of unity”, perhaps, in the hope Kennedy would identify with Trump’s cause given the assassinations of his father, Robert F Kennedy, and his uncle, John F Kennedy.

“I would love you to do something,” Trump said in an attempt to lure Kennedy off the ballot as an Independent