Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr refused to take the bait when asked about Donald Trump in a recent media interview, saying he's "proud" to receive praise from the former president despite their disagreements on "most" things.

NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas pointed out that Trump recently called Kennedy a "common sense guy."

Any other Democrat would recite the usual talking points condemning Trump as a modern-day Hitler, but Kennedy handled it differently.

“So I’m proud that President Trump likes me, even though I don’t agree with him on most of his issues because I don’t wanna alienate people,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy's surprising answer

Vargas told Kennedy that he's being assessed as a "spoiler" by some Democrats, but he rejected that framing and responded with an extended monologue about healing the partisan divide.

"Here’s what I’m not gonna do in this race. I’m not gonna attack other people personally. I don’t think it’s good for our country,” he said.

"I want to bring people together. I’m proud that all these people like me and that I have independent supporters and Democratic supporters,” he added. “Every Democrat says, ‘I want to end the polarization,’ but how do you do that without talking to people who don’t agree with you?”

🚨Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes a new statement on Donald Trump saying “I'm proud that President Trump likes me. I want to bring people together.” pic.twitter.com/KYN3a5GAOS

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 29, 2023

Trump praises rival

Despite signs that he holds some typical progressive views - Kennedy criticized the Supreme Court's ruling ending affirmative action, for example - his broad, populist appeals have struck a chord with some on the right, including leaders like Trump, Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson.

On the other hand, establishment-aligned "progressives," who embrace forced injections, the FBI, and an 80-year-old "wannabe dictator" that can barely talk, have recoiled at Kennedy's more unorthodox beliefs, especially on vaccines.

Trump - who, like Kennedy, has been the target of the establishment media - gave a rosy evaluation of Kennedy in a recent interview. The former president said he and Kennedy have one thing in common - "common sense."

“He’s been very nice to me. I’ve actually had a very nice relationship with him over the years. He’s a very smart guy and a good guy,” Trump said. "He’s a common-sense guy and so am I. So, whether you’re conservative or liberal, common sense is common sense.”

Kennedy isn't being taken seriously as a primary threat, but his double-digit support suggests he may have a role to play in the general election.