Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard are seeking positions in a possible Trump administration, hoping to spark a wave of anti-establishment sentiment in Washington after November.
The two former Democrats, who enthusiastically supported Trump’s Republican nomination for the White House, are seeking to influence American policy issues ranging from health care reform to the environment to national security. They joined the former president after moving to the right following their own lost campaigns – Gabbard’s in 2020 and Kennedy’s in 2024.
Gabbard, a military veteran who served as a Democratic congresswoman for Hawaii before retiring, said this week she would be “honored to serve in a second Trump term.” She told Fox News she hopes to play a role in foreign policy while campaigning for him in Georgia.
Kennedy, meanwhile, wants to facilitate Trump dismantle and rebuild the public health system. His former rival has asked him to “get involved in the government at a high level.”
This weekend, the two will travel to Nevada, where they will reach a third contested area after Arizona and Georgia, in the hope that they will raise Trump’s chances of success with voters in Las Vegas.
The positive expectations set by Trump himself have excited allies of Kennedy and Gabbard, who believe they are already helping to build a non-traditional coalition that they hope can win less than two months before Election Day.
“I really believe [Trump] “He will keep his word and not rip off Kennedy,” said Eric Jackman, a senior adviser to the newly formed Kennedy-affiliated Make America Healthy Again PAC, which is modeled on Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again.”
“He knows that if he wins, he will need much better people around him. Having experienced people like Bobby and Tulsi in Trump’s corner is an immense advantage and asset to his campaign and future administration,” he said.
Jackman, a friend of Gabbard’s who campaigned for Kennedy this cycle, sees the former independent candidate’s strength now in helping Trump reach novel audiences, including skeptical voters and independents.
“It was very exciting and encouraging to see MAGA supporters respond to Kennedy’s call for cleaner food, a cleaner environment and a cleaner government,” he said.
Trump is known for attracting nonconformist figures, many of whom have right-wing sympathies, and the rapid emergence of Kennedy and Gabbard on the Republican scene is the latest continuation of that attitude.
The two are united by anti-interventionism, which also extends to other forms of excessive government influence. Gabbard focuses particularly on the military-industrial elaborate, while Kennedy channels his campaign against vaccines and contemporary science into a fight against the national disease crisis.
Kennedy has not explicitly stated which post he would most like to fill if Trump wins, but people close to him, including his former vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan, have considered the Health and Human Services post as a possibility.
“They are helping to build a bridge for independents and disaffected Democrats to the Trump campaign,” said Larry Sharpe, a political consultant with knowledge of Kennedy’s campaign.
“Many voters who are dissatisfied with the establishment are hoping that both RFK and Gabbard can bring about change,” Sharpe said.
Like others in Kennedy’s circle, he believed there was a suitable place for them in the run-up to a possible change of administration in which Trump would theoretically assume his own mandate.
“Many are hoping that they will both be on the transition team so that they can make many lasting changes in Washington,” he said.
The Hill reported earlier this month that nominating Kennedy for any Cabinet post would likely face challenges, particularly tough Senate confirmation battles if Democrats retain control of the upper house.
Some Democratic strategists say it is increasingly unlikely that either politician will make it to Washington, given the volatility of Trump’s promises and personal alliances. There is growing doubt among liberals that he would keep his word and offer the two ex-candidates top positions.
“I don’t think you need an advanced degree in psychology to realize that loyalty to Donald Trump is a two-way street. And his word is worth about as much as one of his bankrupt casinos,” said Doug Gordon, a Democratic strategist.
“The most likely outcome is that Tulsi and RFK are simply the latest examples of people becoming useful idiots for Trump with nothing to show for it,” Gordon said.
Kennedy and Gabbard have also come under scrutiny since assuming their roles on the campaign trail. In the lead-up to the debate between Trump and Vice President Harris, the former president’s campaign team hired Gabbard to prepare him with a simulated performance, which drew negative attention after the former president’s rocky debate.
Gabbard delivered what her supporters perceived as an attack on Harris in 2019, early in the last presidential campaign, when the two candidates debated in Michigan. Gabbard challenged Harris on her criminal past, galvanizing Harris, a former prosecutor and California’s top law enforcement official as attorney general at the time.
Since then, she has taken an even more hostile stance toward Harris while promoting Trump’s candidacy.
“President Trump, in his last term, did what President Obama refused to do, what President Biden refused to do, and what Kamala Harris has made clear she refuses to do – which is to go out and do the hard work that a president and commander in chief must do in diplomacy,” Gabbard told Fox News, where she is a regular guest.
Trump’s performance in the debate, while widely perceived as frail, appears to have done little to improve the situation in November. New polls in recent days show a close, if not statistically neck-and-neck race in almost all of the key swing states.
Kennedy’s reputation as a Democrat also does not seem to have damaged Trump. After his election, he remained within the limits of his tolerance for mistakes towards Harris.
One Trump ally argued that Kennedy is particularly valuable because he has a built-in following and is the kind of reinforcement who can single-handedly draw a crowd and media attention. He also follows the same motto as Trump that any press is good press.
“That’s another interesting thing that the Trump team has on its side that I don’t think Team Kamala has: several people who deserve media attention,” the former president’s ally said.
“RFK will stay on track. It wasn’t just an endorsement,” the source said.
Brett Samuels contributed reporting.
