Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to select entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate sent Democrats into a panic and justifiably so. Instead of opting for a centrist or moderate conservative to forge a strong unity ticket, Kennedy chose a radical leftist, which could only make the ticket more attractive to progressives who don’t want to vote for Joe Biden. The pick would also certainly alienate conservatives who were considering backing Kennedy in November as an alternative to Donald Trump.
The panic and desperation continue. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is urging Shanahan to consider stepping aside because he’s concerned that the independent ticket will be a spoiler for Biden and result in Donald Trump getting elected.
“While I completely respect third parties and the right for anyone to run for public office, I am deeply concerned that Robert F. Kennedy’s name on the ballot in swing states could tilt the election in Donald Trump’s favor,” Khanna wrote in a letter to Shanahan, which CBS News shared. He cited recent polling indicating that President Trump's numbers improve when Kennedy and other third-party candidates are included.
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"Even Trump himself, and other members of his team, have admitted that a RFK Jr. ticket will help his reelection," Khanna added. "While you may have fair disagreements on the Democratic Party's platform, it is clear that a second term for Trump would be disastrous for climate and undo the work of President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant action Congress has taken on clean energy and climate change in our nation's history."
Shanahan was not amused.
"In my conversation with Ro he congratulated me on the position and encouraged me to run, stating that every American has the right to run in this country. He stated that we live in a democracy, and it was wrong for anyone to threaten me against running,” she said in a post on X/Twitter.
"Clearly, Ro has changed his stance based on pressure from the party. I hope he understands how anti-democratic it is to ask someone to step down from a race that empowers the American public to make their own decisions. I am very disappointed that he has been pressured into issuing this letter to me publicly. He could have called me privately. He has my direct line," she continued.
Khanna then responded in a post on X, showing a screenshot of a text message he sent to Shanahan, adding, "Nicole has every right to be on the ticket. My point to her both publicly and privately has been that RFK’s ticket threatens the very issues she cares about — such as climate and abortion rights and to welcome her into the Democratic Party."
Think that helped? No, it didn’t.
.@RoKhanna you have my phone number and could have called instead of going to the press. This is performative. https://t.co/znc7uhrLuw https://t.co/ZSZiSAVyW5
— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) April 10, 2024
Kennedy praised his running mate. "Im [sic] so grateful for your courage and grace Nicole,” he replied on X/Twitter. "I have always admired RoKhanna [sic]. His flip flop here is disappointing. The party has power to bludgeon men of character into waivering. [sic]"
It sure looks like the Kennedy/Shanahan ticket isn’t going anywhere.
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