News/Commentary

RFK Jr picks a doozy of a VP running mate, and should put to rest on where he stands

March 26, 2024 | | Print Article

Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. surprised everyone by picking California-based attorney named Nicole Shanahan as his running mate and she’s a doozy.

If some conservatives were somehow enamored with RFK Jr. this may come as a surprise. Shanahan was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, according to the Wall Street Journal. She’s heavily supported Pete Buttigieg and President Biden. The leftist also funded Soros-backed District Attorney George Gascón.

“Shanahan, 38, also runs a foundation focused on reproductive rights, criminal justice, and the environment. Before backing Kennedy’s Independent bid, Shanahan had previously been a donor to Democratic campaigns, including supporting Joe Biden’s election in 2020. Kennedy was slated to announce his choice Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., where Shanahan grew up,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Kennedy, an environmental lawyer from America’s most famous political dynasty, is currently working to get on the ballot in every state after leaving the Democratic primary to run as an Independent. Each state has different requirements to appear on a ballot as an Independent, including selecting a running mate in some states. Getting on those ballots will be an expensive proposition for the Kennedy campaign; it isn’t clear yet whether Shanahan plans to assist by tapping into her own wealth,” the media outlet added.

“Shanahan, a political novice, was thrust into the spotlight over her public split with 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 was published, Musk denied the allegations and Shanahan later followed suit.”

“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,” the outlet explained.

Shanahan brings strong leftist creds to the ticket. What is unknown is whether her being on it will drive away not only conservatives, but moderates as well.

(Video Credit: The Hill)

There is also the fact that not only is the wealthy California attorney a brazen leftist, Shanahan has deep, deep ties to Big Tech.

“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,” the Wall Street Journal noted.

“Kennedy also has questioned whether prescription drugs have caused a rise in school shootings and whether Wi-Fi exposure leads to cancer. He has said that the Central Intelligence Agency assassinated his uncle and could have killed his father, Robert F. Kennedy, despite no concrete evidence. And he has said the U.S. is perpetuating the Ukraine war to fuel the defense industry,” the media outlet said.

According to a Wall Street Journal poll taken in February, a six-way matchup had Kennedy pulling in 9% of the vote. Trump came in at 40% and Biden scored 35% nationally. The remainder of the votes went to third-party candidates and undecided voters.

“Shanahan grew up in Oakland as the daughter of a Chinese immigrant mother who worked as an accountant and a father who struggled with mental health issues. She told People that she coped with her challenging childhood by throwing herself into school. She went to the University of Puget Sound, then Santa Clara University for law school, and later had a fellowship at CodeX, the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics,” the Wall Street Journal wrote.

“In 2013 Shanahan founded ClearAccessIP, a platform for managing patents. The company was sold to IPwe in 2020,” the outlet further stated.

Kennedy’s campaign manager also said that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs”, were being considered.

Many in the Trump camp were celebrating the news:

Latest posts by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles