Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that he has chosen wealthy lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate, offering him financial resources and valuable connections in the tech sector.
Kennedy, a well-known anti-vaccine advocate aiming to appeal to voters disenchanted with the upcoming Nov. 5 election rematch between President Joe Biden and Republican opponent Donald Trump, unveiled Shanahan at a campaign event. During the event, Kennedy criticized the pharmaceutical industry and COVID lockdowns.
In selecting Shanahan, Kennedy passed over other potential candidates, including the more widely recognized National Football League star Aaron Rodgers. He explained to hundreds of supporters that he sought a running mate who embodies athleticism, resilience, skepticism toward regulated industries, and empathy for everyday Americans.
“I’m so proud to introduce to you the next vice president the United States, my fellow lawyer, a brilliant scientist, technologist, a fierce warrior mom, Nicole Shanahan,” Kennedy, 70, said at the event in Oakland.
Shanahan, who was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, was introduced through a video detailing her challenging upbringing in Oakland, her father’s struggles with substance abuse, her achievements at Stanford University, and the discovery of her child’s autism diagnosis.
Expressing her admiration for Kennedy’s commitment to health causes, Shanahan stated, “There is no other candidate for president who takes the chronic disease epidemic as seriously as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and I will be his ally in making our nation healthy again,”
She attributed America’s health challenges to environmental factors such as waterway pollution, electromagnetic waves from cell phones, and what she described as “poisons” in the nation’s food supply chain and medications.
