(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Incoming First Son Donald Trump Jr. reflected on Department of Health and Human Services director nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “fast” alliance with the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement in an AmericaFest interview filmed on Dec. 19.
Donald Trump Jr. told Digital Social Hour Podcast host Sean Kelly that he helped bring about Kennedy’s prospective role in his father’s second administration.
First time at America Fest – Filmed a fun pod with @DonaldJTrumpJr #AMFEST2024 pic.twitter.com/4kMXPJnnUd
— Sean Kelly | Digital Social Hour Podcast (@seankelly25) December 20, 2024
Kelly told the incoming first son that he “can’t wait” for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) efforts to take effect.
“I sort of negotiated that deal. I saw what was happening to him,” Donald Trump Jr. said of Kennedy, who initially ran as a Democrat, changed his party affiliation to Independent and was faced with legal warfare to take him off of several states’ ballots.
“I’m from New York City. I’ve had a lot of Democrat friends. A buddy of my business partner, former Democrat Omeed Malik, was best friends with Bobby’s son,” the incoming first son said.
Don Jr on Bringing RFK Jr Together w/ Trump
“Once we started having that conversation, it was really fast. I was like man, this guy's gonna do better than probably anyone else my father would put at HHS or FDA or whatever it may be … We're like let's just fight together and… pic.twitter.com/ORdUXHCIlr
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 27, 2024
Donald Trump Jr. said Malik told him he and Kennedy would “get along great.” He said a tight group set up private conversations to avoid leaks to the media.
“I said, ‘Let’s start talking. Let’s figure this out,’” Donald Trump Jr. told the podcast host.
Donald Trump Jr. explained how Kennedy eventually reached the point where he knew he could not win the presidency. He said Team Trump offered Kennedy a chance to join forces and combine agenda items Kennedy was most passionate about with Trump’s MAGA campaign.
“‘Why don’t we get together, the things that you actually care about, why don’t we give you a seat at the table,’” Donald Trump Jr. recalled Trump’s campaign saying to Kennedy.
Susie Wiles, who Trump tapped to serve as his White House chief of staff, was involved in Kennedy’s team-up with Trump, according to Donald Trump Jr, who admitted he was initially wary of the former Democrat.
“We got along great. And at first, I was like, really skeptical. Because I was like, you know, half of me is like sort of just the attack dog. So, if they’re running against me, it’s like, you know, when you’re a hammer and everything’s a nail,” Donald Trump Jr. said.
Donald Trump Jr. said that while he liked much of what Kennedy was proposing to do about unhealthy food, his initial instinct was to fight.
”Once we started having that conversation, it was really fast,” he told Kelly.
He added that when Kennedy and Team Trump talked, a process he said lasted months, he realized Kennedy was the right fit for the job.
“I was like damn, like, this guy is probably going to do better than anyone else I can put in, my father would put in HHS, or FDA, whatever it might be, right? And my father agreed with that too, and we’re like, let’s fight together and let’s take this back,” the former and future first son said.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and The American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
