Who is Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice presidential pick?
CNN
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential pick at a campaign rally Tuesday in her hometown of Oakland, California.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential pick at a campaign rally Tuesday in her hometown of Oakland, California. The 38-year-old, first-time candidate enters the race largely unknown to the public outside of tech circles but was an early supporter of Kennedy’s presidential bid, backing him last year while he was still running in the Democratic primary. Shanahan said during her remarks Tuesday she initially “didn’t think much of” Kennedy but became drawn to his campaign after hearing his interviews, which she said gave her “hope for our democracy.” “I saw a person of intelligence, of compassion and of reason. … I discovered a person who speaks out on issues that, even though they are critically important to human health and welfare, are consistently ignored by our government, and for the first time in a long time, I felt hope for our democracy,” Shanahan said. Kennedy’s campaign is hoping Shanahan’s youth and fluency in the tech world’s anti-establishment rhetoric will help him expand and excite his base of support. Though Shanahan has been more cautious in her statements about vaccines than Kennedy, a leading skeptic, she has repeatedly questioned their safety. On Tuesday, Shanahan implicitly made the false suggestion that “pharmaceutical medicines” such as prescriptions and vaccines could be contributing to rising rates of autism in children. The deep-pocketed investor could also provide a financial boost to backstop Kennedy’s expensive campaign and its attempt to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states. That effort has been stunted by requirements in certain states that candidates file alongside a running mate.