Believe That Trump Has ‘Changed As A Person’
Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently suggested that Donald Trump has evolved and is more prepared to govern than he was during his first term as president.
Kennedy believes that Trump is now more focused on his legacy as he considers another run for the presidency.
In an interview on the “All-In” podcast on Friday, Kennedy shared his thoughts, stating, “I think, if President Trump wins, people are going to see a very different President Trump than they did during his first term. I believe he’s changed as a person.”
Kennedy, who recently ended his independent presidential campaign to throw his support behind Trump—despite objections from his family and wife—revealed that Trump has admitted to making mistakes during his first term.
According to Kennedy, Trump acknowledged that he “appointed a lot of people [he] shouldn’t have appointed.” It’s worth noting that nearly half of Trump’s former Cabinet members have not endorsed his current candidacy, and several have openly criticized him.
Kennedy shared that Trump confided in him about the errors he made in his previous term, admitting, “He said many interesting things to me about what he did wrong the last time, about how he failed. You know, he had no idea he was going to win, he had no idea how to govern.”
Kennedy also mentioned that Trump is now seeking input from a “wider range of voices,” including Kennedy himself and Tulsi Gabbard, who have both joined Trump’s transition team.
However, some, like my colleague Zeeshan Aleem, argue that this move may not broaden Trump’s appeal as intended, but could potentially narrow it instead.
“Kennedy says Trump listens to more than just the narrow, right-wing voices that people fear.”
Kennedy seems to be attempting to soften Trump’s image to broaden his appeal, but he’s pushing against clear evidence from Trump’s own words and actions.
Almost four years after losing his re-election bid, Trump still falsely claims that the election was stolen from him. He and his allies are using a similar strategy to 2020, stoking fears of voter fraud as a precaution if he doesn’t win in November. Trump has promised to use the powers of the presidency to go after his political opponents if he returns to office.
He continues to launch deeply personal attacks on his adversaries and, in promoting harsher border security measures, has once again resorted to racist, dehumanizing language when discussing migrants, much like he did during his time as president.
Both Trump and Kennedy have traded barbs on the campaign trail in the past. Although Kennedy has now joined the Republicans’ team, saying that it aligns with some of his priorities, the two men still differ on several key issues.