Donald Trump Jr. agreed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could be given “some sort of oversight” role over a number of government agencies, including the CIA and FBI, if his father is returned for a second White House term in November.
The former president’s son made the remark in a jokey segment of The Benny Show, hosted by conservative media personality Benny Johnson, which was released on Wednesday.
It comes amid heightened speculation that Kennedy, who is currently running for the presidency as an independent, could drop out of the race and endorse Trump.
Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s running mate, said the pair could “walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump” during a recent podcast interview. Kennedy, a noted environmental campaigner and vaccine skeptic, is scheduled to “address the nation” at 2 p.m. E.T. on Friday.
During Trump Jr’s appearance on Johnson’s show, the former president’s son mockingly reacted to reports that Planned Parenthood has been offering free vasectomies outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Chicago.
He said: “I’m 100 percent in favor of the drive through vasectomy van for all of the people in attendance, I think that’s actually a great start. I will happily contribute large sums of my own personal money to make sure that radical liberals get vasectomies.”
Benny questioned whether DNC attendees “have balls in the first place,” to which Trump Jr. replied they need to “make sure” in case they “drop suddenly in their mid-30s.”
Referring to Kennedy Jr. as RFK, Benny said: “That will be a new scientific study—it must be funded by RFK when he’s in charge of the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], maybe. I can see him FDA, CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], CIA, FBI.”
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Donald Trump Jr. suggested Kennedy could be given “oversight” over the CIA and other government agencies during a podcast.
Kevin Dietsch/GETTY
Trump Jr. replied: “There’s a lot of places—or like some sort of oversight role over all of those, weeding out the corruption, weeding out the waste.”
Benny also asked: “RFK Jr. for CIA director? Come on.” In response Trump Jr. said: “How about the FDA, how about HHS [Department of Health & Human Services]? Listen, there’s a lot of places that a guy like that could do sort of a general overwatch. I can see a dozen roles I’d love to see him in.”
Newsweek has contacted Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s 2024 presidential election campaign and Donald Trump Jr., via the Trump Organization, for comment by email.
During an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Trump was asked whether he would consider Kennedy “for a role in your administration.” The presidential hopeful replied: “I like him a lot, I respect him a lot. 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.”
Trump later added: “I didn’t know about RFK but I like him and I respect him, you were saying ‘would I think about him for something?’ and the answer is yes, he’s a brilliant guy, he’s a very smart guy, I’ve known him for a long time. I didn’t know he was thinking about getting out but if he is thinking about getting out certainly I would be open to it.”
An analysis of recent opinion polls by election website RacetotheWH concluded Kennedy dropping out of the 2024 election could be enough to swing Nevada and North Carolina in Trump’s favor.
