Politics
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to pick California lawyer and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate, according to a report.
Shanahan, a Democratic donor who was once married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, financed the Kennedy campaign’s expensive Super Bowl ad, Mediaite reported Saturday.
The pair “match on many issues,” including his condemnation of vaccines, and she could help funnel money into Kennedy’s long-term bid and get him to run in all 50 states, sources close to the campaign told the publication.
The choice notably kept New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Kennedy said he was considering as his running mate, off the November ballot.
Kennedy’s campaign declined to confirm that he had made a decision.
“There has been much speculation in the media about Mr. Kennedy’s choice as a vice presidential candidate,” his campaign’s press office told The Post in a statement.
“The official announcement will be on March 26 in Oakland, California. We hope to see you there.”
Shanahan, 38, told The New York Times last month that she gave $4 million to a super PAC, American Values 2024, to fund the $7 million, 30-second Super Bowl ad.
Although she claims she is not “anti-vaxxer,” she said she shares Kennedy’s constant attacks on vaccines. She also describes herself as a progressive who cares about children’s health.
She donated to President Biden’s 2020 campaign and gave the maximum $6,600 to Kennedy’s campaign in May 2023 while he was still vying for the Democratic nomination, according to records obtained by The Times.
The Bay Area attorney was married to Google’s Brin in 2018, but they officially divorced last summer after she became romantically involved with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Musk and Brin were previously longtime friends, and Musk often stayed at Brin’s home, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2022.
However, the two reportedly fell out after Musk and Shanahan’s brief relationship in December 2021, when Brin asked his financial advisers to sell his personal investments in Musk’s companies.
Musk and Shanahan have denied the allegations.
“This is complete bs,” Musk posted on X in July 2022 in response to a user who shared the WSJ article.
“I’ve only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with lots of other people around. Nothing romantic,” he added.
Brynn filed for divorce from Shanahan in January 2022. The couple shares a young daughter together, according to People.
Kennedy initially ran as a Democrat against President Biden before announcing an independent bid in October. He has emerged as the top third-party candidate in the field, consistently reaching double digits behind President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Others on Kennedy’s short list included former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who along with Rogers was “at the top of his list,” he told the New York Times this week.
Kennedy is working to secure funding to enter each state as an independent, which his campaign says will cost them $15 million. So far, he has qualified for the election in only four states: Hawaii, Nevada, New Hampshire and Utah.
