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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is seemingly holding on by a thread with campaign spending outweighing donations and the number two on the ticket floating the idea of teaming up with Trump.
Recent filings with the Federal Election Commission indicate the campaign is struggling to keep up with its spending and combined with ballot access challenges, the campaign will need to make tough decisions.
“There’s two options that we’re looking at,” Kennedy’s running mate Nicole Shanahan said on the podcast Impact Theory.
“One is staying in, forming that new party but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump,” she added.
As a third-party independent candidate, Kennedy and Shanahan knew they were going to face an uphill battle to acquire even a small percentage of votes in the general election. But Shanahan’s admission on Tuesday could lead to further instability in the campaign.
Jeff Hays, who has given the campaign more than $300,000 told ABC News that Shanahan’s statement “absolutely killed fundraising.” He told the news outlet he was no longer holding a fundraising event for Kennedy next month.
The stakes are getting high as the election draws closer. It’s unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.
At the end of last month, RFK Jr.’s campaign had $3.9 million cash on hand but owed $3.4 million, a sign that the independent presidential candidate is struggling to bring in money as the November election rapidly approaches.
In July, Kennedy’s campaign spent more than $7 million, according to raw FEC data, but only brought in roughly $5.6 million. Approximately $2.5 million of that was given directly by Shanahan.
FEC filings indicate that Shanahan is one of the largest donors to Kennedy’s campaign. She has poured millions of dollars into Kennedy’s campaign, donating thousands of dollars each month.
In an effort to cut back costs, Kennedy has not held many in-person rallies, opting for digital events – like a live stream on TikTok or X, or going on podcasts.
But as the stakes get higher and the two main candidates in the race, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, get access to more money and resources it’s unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.
Already, Kennedy is facing problems getting his name on the ballot in several states. In New York, challengers accused him of using a “sham” address while filing out forms to appear on the ballot, leading a judge to remove him from the ballot.
Similar challenges could be brought against the independent candidate in Georgia.
That is in addition to his polling numbers, which show his unfavorability rate is increasing as more embarrassing stories from his past become headlines. Earlier this year, Kennedy shared that doctors once found a dead brain worm inside him. He also admitted to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park, solving a decade-long mystery.
With time and money running out, rumors emerged that Kennedy has spoken with both Trump and Harris about a potential position in their administrations in return for his endorsement.
A spokesperson for Harris said they have “no intention” of negotiating that possibility.
Kennedy wrote on X that he is “willing to talk with leaders of any political party” to further his goals of protecting free speech, cleaning pollution from the environment, ending chronic disease epidemics and more.
In a text to ABC News, Shanahan clarified that, “It would require a significant commitment by Trump to give Bobby true authority to execute.”
