Trump and Kennedy Talk Vaccines, Assassination Attempt in Leaked Call

A video of a private phone call between Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Donald Trump leaked on Tuesday, prompting an apology from Kennedy.

The Details: The 100-second video shows Kennedy listening to Trump express skepticism over vaccines and was taken by one of Kennedy’s in-house videographers. During the conversation, Trump also said he received a “very nice” call from President Biden following the assassination attempt he survived over the weekend.

Key Quotes: Trump told Kennedy he would "love" for Kennedy to "do something" with his campaign. "It would be so good for you and so big for you," he added. Kennedy issued an apology via X: “When President Trump called me I was taping with an in-house videographer. I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.” Kennedy’s campaign said he has no plans to suspend his campaign.

How The Media Covered It: The video was mostly covered by outlets from the left and center, though several outlets on the right covered it as well. Headlines were mostly framed around RFK’s apology or his stance on vaccination.