(NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has apologized for a leaked call between himself and former President Donald Trump.

The call was leaked by his son, Bobby Kennedy III, and showed the former president trying to persuade Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to exit the race and throw his support behind Trump.

Kennedy initially entered the race as a Democrat but shifted to an independent run. Kennedy has gained support from voters in both parties, raising fears on both sides of the aisle that he could pull in enough votes to shift the election. However, he has lagged far behind both major candidates.

In his platform, Kennedy has expressed a mix of views that appeal to both those on the left and right. He’s an environmentalist and has expressed support for reproductive rights, while also expressing anti-vaccination views and promoting a more isolationist foreign policy agenda.

When sharing the leaked call, Bobby Kennedy III lashed out at Trump for choosing Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his vice presidential nominee with a comment suggesting Vance supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Vance has urged civil disobedience against vaccines and rejected mask mandates designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In the call, Trump can be heard talking about vaccines and raising questions about dosages, claiming people are being given “massive” vaccines. Vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, have been proven to be safe with side effects occurring very rarely.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. apologized and said the call was recorded because he was working with an in-house videographer when Trump called. On X, Kennedy said he should have ordered recording to stop immediately and said he was “mortified” that the call had been leaked.