Donald Trump Was ‘Highest Bidder’ For RFK Jr.: George Conway

Conservative attorney George Conway, a frequent critic of Donald Trump, suggested that the former president may have played a role in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s reported decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
ABC News reported on Wednesday that Kennedy, who is running as an independent, is planning to suspend his campaign by the end of the week and throw his endorsement behind Trump. Sources familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also confirmed Kennedy’s plans to CNN and Politico.
The reports follow news that Kennedy—a lifelong Democrat and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy—had sought a meeting earlier this month with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss a potential role in her future administration in exchange for his endorsement, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper reported in July that Kennedy had talks with Trump about a similar deal, but people familiar with the matter said that no agreement was reached.
“I guess Trump was the highest bidder,” Conway wrote to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday evening.
Kennedy’s campaign told Newsweek over email Wednesday night that the team has no further comment on the reports of the independent dropping out beyond a media advisory published earlier in the day, which announced that Kennedy plans to address the nation “about the present historical moment and his path forward” on Friday at 2 p.m. EST in Phoenix, Arizona.
Trump said during an interview with CNN’s Kristen Holmes earlier this week that he was “open” to offering Kennedy a role in his administration if the independent dropped out of the 2024 race.
“I like him a lot, I respect him a lot,” Trump said on Tuesday. “I probably would if something like that would happen. He’s a very different kind of a guy, a very smart guy, and I would be honored by that endorsement certainly.”
That same day, Kennedy posted to X that he was “willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further the goals I have served for 40 years in my career and in this campaign.” Among his priorities, he said, are “reversing the chronic disease epidemic, ending the war machine, cleaning corporate influence out of government and toxic pollution out of the environment, protecting freedom of speech, and ending politicization of enforcement agencies.”
Sources who spoke with ABC News said that any decisions about Kennedy’s campaign had not been finalized. When asked by the outlet directly on Wednesday if he plans to endorse Trump, Kennedy told ABC, “I will not confirm or deny that. We are not talking about any of that.”
Update 08/21/24, 8:34 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional comment from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign.