White House and RFK Jr. Campaigned to Push Libertarian Candidates Out of Tight House Races

The White House and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have launched a coordinated effort to pressure third-party candidates to withdraw from competitive congressional races to protect the Republican House majority.

According to a leaked audio recording, Kennedy acted as a liaison for the White House, urging a Libertarian candidate in Iowa to withdraw from a tight race.

The intervention underscores deep anxieties within the administration over losing control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.

Pressure in Key Battlefield Districts

In a June 11 phone call obtained by The Washington Post, Kennedy pressed Rick Stewart, a Libertarian candidate running in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, to make a deal to exit the contest.

Kennedy warned that a Democratic takeover of the chamber would derail President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

Kennedy suggested he could help the candidate if he stepped aside, proposing an agreement rather than a symbolic run for office.

"I can’t go into specifics because there’s legal prohibitions about that," Kennedy stated in the recording, though he offered to discuss specifics privately.

The outreach was not an isolated incident. Libertarian politicians confirmed that Kennedy made at least one other call this month to Marco Battaglia, a third-party candidate in Iowa’s competitive 3rd Congressional District, leaning on him to drop out.

Coordinated Strategy from the White House

The pressure campaign was initiated by Trump political adviser James Blair, who recently took a leave of absence from the White House to coordinate the Republican midterm political strategy.

Blair requested that Kennedy intervene after learning that the Libertarian candidates respected the health secretary.

While individuals familiar with the matter stated Blair did not explicitly instruct Kennedy to offer favors in exchange for withdrawals, government ethics experts warned the intervention was highly problematic.

Lawyers noted that the actions could violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal officials from using their authority to interfere in elections.

The White House has increasingly focused on clearing fields in battleground districts as it faces low presidential poll numbers, rising costs, and an unpopular war with Iran.

The administration is acutely aware that a Democratic majority would immediately launch sweeping investigations and issue subpoenas against federal officials.

Subpoena Defense and Third-Party Resistance

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have already signaled plans to aggressively investigate Kennedy's public health programs and vaccine policy changes if they reclaim the majority.

Kennedy directly cited this risk during his call with Stewart, noting he did not want to spend the next two years fighting congressional subpoenas.

Despite the pressure, the third-party candidates have resisted the administration's push to alter the ballot.

Stewart interpreted the call as an attempted quid pro quo to protect the Republican pocket and confirmed he has no intention of exiting the race.

The Libertarian Party has made notable inroads in Iowa, achieving official party status and positioning its candidates to potentially pull decisive percentages away from Republicans in toss-up districts.