Photo: Robert Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan
Independent US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday, March 26, that he has selected attorney Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential candidate, providing he has the prospect of financial influence and sought-after connections in the technology industry.
Kennedy, a known anti-vaxxer, is hoping to attract voters disappointed that the Nov. 5 election will pit President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump again. He introduced Shanahan as a vice presidential candidate at a campaign event, during which the candidate criticized the pharmaceutical industry and Covid lockdowns, Reuters reports.
Previously, the name of Aaron Rodgers, a star of the National Football League, appeared among potential candidates for vice president. Kennedy told hundreds of supporters that he wanted as his vice presidential candidate someone who was “athletic,” battle-tested, skeptical of economic regulation and sympathetic to the hardships of ordinary Americans.
Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, spoke about her childhood in Oakland, her drug-abusing father, her success at Stanford University and the moment she learned that her child had been diagnosed with autism.
Shanahan said one of the things that attracted her to Kennedy was their shared commitment to health. “There is no other presidential candidate who takes the epidemic of chronic disease as seriously as Robert Kennedy Jr., and I will be his ally in restoring the health of our nation,” she said.
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She stated that the reason for the poor health of Americans – ecology, including water pollution, electromagnetic waves emanating from mobile phones and “poisons” contained in foods and medicines.
Kennedy is supported by 15% of registered voters, compared with 39% of Biden supporters and 38% of Trump supporters, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The Democratic National Committee and many political strategists believe Kennedy's campaign could become a “stumbling block” in the 2024 elections, and will lead to Trump's victory.
"Our campaign is a stumbling block. I agree with thatsaid Kennedy on Tuesday. – This is a stumbling block for President Biden and for President Trump. It's a stumbling block for the war machine.
Shanahan is unlikely to help Kennedy with her popularity, but her fortune and activism on reproductive rights will help his campaign gain financial resources and momentum.
She is president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, a private foundation that invests in reproductive health, helping women have children later in life and promoting criminal justice reform and environmental issues.
Shanahan told the New York Times that she was the creative force and financial backer of Kennedy's campaign ad that aired at this year's Super Bowl. The candidate eventually had to apologize to his family because the ad heavily emphasized his connection to his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy.
The ad was criticized by Kennedy's cousin, Bobby Shriver, who said the late president and mother Shriver would be "horrified by his murderous views on health care," regarding vaccines.
Shanahan donated $4 million to the pro-Kennedy super PAC (Political Action Committee). She told the New York Times.
Shanahan previously registered as a Democrat, and federal campaign finance records show she was a frequent donor in previous election cycles to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg.< /p>
Pro-Biden groups have stepped up efforts to discredit Kennedy over his naming of Shanahan as his vice president. Pro-Biden super PAC Clear Choice has launched a website emphasizing that Kennedy is sponsored by billionaire Timothy Mellon, who also donated to the Trump campaign.
Prepared by Sergei Daga