By Aaron Pellish and Jon Acosta | CNN
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s campaign reached out to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to set up a meeting about a possible role in her administration if he drops out of the race and endorses her, a Kennedy campaign official and a Democratic official told CNN.
The approach by Kennedy’s team occurred last week, and no meeting between the two candidates materialized, Kennedy’s campaign official told CNN.
The effort to meet comes weeks after Kennedy and former President Donald Trump met in person during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where the two discussed a possible role for Kennedy in a potential Trump administration in exchange for an endorsement.
Kennedy’s campaign staff also tried to reach out to intermediaries for Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff for President Joe Biden, but those efforts were fruitless, the Kennedy campaign official said.
While Kennedy continues to make progress on ballot access, hosting campaign events and making media appearances, the campaign official told CNN he remains open to dropping out of the race if he believes he can serve the country in another way.
Kennedy campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear said in a statement to CNN that Kennedy “is willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government.”
CNN has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
The Washington Post first reported the outreach.
Democrats have fiercely fought Kennedy’s campaign since the start of the year with ads branding Kennedy a “spoiler” and highlighting his ties to GOP mega-donor Timothy Mellon, who has contributed to an outside group endorsing Kennedy and a separate group endorsing Trump. The Democratic National Committee and a super PAC led by Democratic allies have objected to Kennedy’s admission to ballots in several states.
“No one intends to negotiate with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought employment with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement,” DNC spokesman Matt Corridoni said Wednesday in a statement to CNN.