In a recent interview, Nicole Shanahan, the running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., revealed that their campaign is considering abandoning their quest for the White House to potentially "join forces" with Republican nominee Donald Trump. The interview, posted online on Tuesday, also discussed their alternative plan of remaining in the contest to establish themselves as a third-party option and secure ballot access for future elections.

Shanahan expressed the campaign's dilemma, stating that they have two options to consider. One option is to stay in the race, forming a new party and attempting to win more than 5% of the popular vote. However, this carries the risk of potentially splitting votes and leading to a Kamala Harris and Tim Walz presidency. Alternatively, the campaign could choose to walk away and align with Donald Trump, with Shanahan acknowledging the challenges of explaining this decision to their base.

When asked if she would run for governor of California if their campaign ends, Shanahan expressed her interest, stating, "I would consider running as well. I want to be involved in California." The potential departure of Kennedy and Shanahan from the race raises questions about whether their intended voters would naturally shift towards Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Some polls indicate that Vice President Harris performs better against Trump in swing states when Kennedy is included as a candidate.

Shanahan made it clear that their purpose for entering the race was not to be a spoiler candidate but to win and enact meaningful change. In the interview, she stated, "We don't want to be a spoiler. We wanted to win. We wanted a fair shot." The interview, filmed on Monday, sheds light on the campaign's future plans and intentions.

Kennedy's campaign, when asked for comment on Shanahan's interview, referred CNBC to a tweet by Kennedy himself. In the tweet, Kennedy expressed his willingness to engage with leaders from any political party to further his long-standing goals of addressing the chronic disease epidemic, ending the war machine, removing corporate influence in government, eliminating toxic pollution, protecting freedom of speech, and ending political bias in enforcement agencies.

The Democratic Party's spokeswoman, Lis Smith, responded to Shanahan's interview by claiming that Shanahan is no longer pretending to be a serious vice-presidential candidate. Smith criticized the interview, highlighting Shanahan's discussions about appointing RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary in a potential Trump administration and her interest in running for governor in California in 2026. Smith's statement reaffirmed the Democratic Party's belief that Kennedy's presence in the race only serves as a spoiler for Trump.

As the interview surfaces just days before Vice President Kamala Harris is set to formally accept the Democratic nomination in Chicago alongside her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the potential alliance between Kennedy's campaign and Trump adds a new dynamic to the bustling political landscape. Despite Kennedy abandoning his efforts to secure the Democratic nomination last year, his independent campaign claims to have collected enough signatures to secure a ballot line in all 50 states. However, a recent ruling in New York has barred Kennedy from appearing on the state's ballot due to residency concerns, prompting an appeal from his team, along with ongoing battles in other crucial swing states.

The future of Kennedy's campaign and the potential impact on the upcoming election remain uncertain. As the political arena witnesses unexpected twists and turns, the American electorate looks on with heightened anticipation to see how these developments unfold.