Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued an apology on Tuesday after a video surfaced online featuring part of a private phone call between the independent presidential candidate and former Republican President Donald Trump.
In the video, Kennedy is seen listening via speakerphone as Trump repeats debunked claims about childhood vaccines. This topic has garnered Kennedy a dedicated following among those who reject the scientific consensus that vaccines’ benefits far exceed the risks of rare complications. Trump also appears to encourage Kennedy to endorse his campaign.
“I would love you to do so,” Trump says to Kennedy. “And I think it’ll be so good for you and so big for you. And we’re going to win.”
Kennedy says very little in the leaked portion of the call, which begins with Trump already discussing vaccines.
“When President Trump called me, I was filming with an in-house videographer,” Kennedy explained on the X platform. “I should have instructed the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.”
The video was initially posted by Kennedy’s son, Robert F. Kennedy III, who mentioned that it was recorded on Sunday, a day after Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania and just before the Republican National Convention commenced. Although the video was quickly removed, copies continue to circulate on social media.
Kennedy’s spokesperson, Stefanie Spear, confirmed on Monday that he is not withdrawing from the race. His campaign remains focused on the challenging task of securing a spot on the ballot in all 50 states without the backing of a political party, which demands significant time and financial resources.
Supporters of both Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are concerned about the impact Kennedy’s campaign might have on their own prospects for the White House. Historically, third-party candidates rarely secure more than a small percentage of the vote, but Democrats attribute their losses in the 2000 and 2016 elections to Green Party candidates.
Kennedy has leveraged nontraditional platforms such as podcasts and YouTube to amass a following among younger voters and those who distrust institutions, demographics that Trump also hopes to attract. Democrats are worried that Kennedy might draw anti-Trump voters they would prefer to support Biden, potentially aiding Trump’s bid for reelection.
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During his conversation with Kennedy, Trump talks about the assassination attempt on him and the subsequent phone call from Biden, which he described as “very nice.” He compared the sensation of the bullet grazing his ear to “the world’s largest mosquito.”