Speculation can finally end as sources reveal that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has selected Nicole Shanahan, a California attorney, as his vice presidential candidate for his campaign.
In addition to being an attorney, Shanahan, 38, runs a foundation dedicated to left-wing causes like abortion rights, criminal justice reform, and fighting climate change. According to the Wall Street Journal, prior to joining forces with Kennedy, Shanahan had a history of supporting Democratic campaigns, including Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. Kennedy is expected to formally introduce Shanahan as his running mate during an event scheduled for Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., Shanahan's hometown.
Shanahan, a political novice, was thrust into the spotlight over her public split with [Google co-founder Sergey] Brin amid a brief alleged affair she had with Elon Musk in 2021 that ruptured the billionaires’ long friendship, The Wall Street Journal reported. After the article published, Musk denied the allegations and Shanahan later followed suit.
A Journal spokeswoman has said the Journal stands by its reporting.
In addition to donating to Kennedy’s campaign, Shanahan told the New York Times she donated $4 million to the Kennedy-aligned super PAC that ran the Super Bowl ad supporting his candidacy. Shanahan not only paid for a significant portion of the controversial ad—which repurposed an ad from when his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr.ran for president and caused controversy with some members of his family—but she was a key force in the ad’s production.
She has said that she aligns with Kennedy on issues such as vaccine skepticism and the environment. Kennedy is known for his claims—debunked by public-health experts—linking childhood vaccinations to autism and casting doubt on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines. In an interview with the Journal last year Kennedy said he wasn’t antivaccine but believed they should go through more rigorous scrutiny. Shanahan used a similar line in her New York Times interview.
There's something else about Shanahan that you should know, according to Charlie Kirk, the founder of TPUSA.
RFK’s VP choice, Nicole Shanahan, is a six-figure donor to... George Gascon, the pro-crime, Soros-backed prosecutor who helped wreck San Francisco and is currently wrecking LA. She also spent big on Measure J, a Los Angeles measure to reroute spending from law enforcement and… pic.twitter.com/ei3p1sggA0
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 26, 2024
While it's hardly shocking that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would pick a radical leftist to join his ticket, it will be interesting to see how some conservatives who have found themselves attracted to Kennedy's candidacy will respond to this selection. So far, they've refused to acknowledge his left-wing record, which includes donating extensively to Democrats, admiring Bernie Sanders and Louis Farrakhan, and supporting radical policies like the Green New Deal, divesting from fossil fuels, abortion on demand without limits, and huge tax hikes.
Related: Don’t Be Fooled: RFK Jr. Is a Radical Leftist
Kennedy has previously maintained that his independent bid for the presidency hurts Donald Trump more than Biden; however, recent polls have been suggesting the opposite. Had Kennedy chosen a centrist or a moderate Republican as his running mate, it may have helped his bipartisan appeal, but it seems likely now that Shanahan could turn off conservatives who weren't willing to see Kennedy's left-wing radicalism before, further threatening Biden.
It will no doubt take some time to see if Shanahan's inclusion on the ticket will impact the race, but I don't think it will be good news for Biden.
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