RFK Jr.'s running mate pick, Nicole Shanahan, has Silicon Valley ties, anti-IVF stance
Since announcing his 2024 presidential campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been deliberate in his roll-out. He waited months to file his candidacy and even then, did so only when forced to by petition drives. He waited another week to announce his vice-presidential pick, taking to Oakland to unveil tech attorney, entrepreneur, and self-described "warrior mom" Nicole Shanahan. "I want a vice president who shares my passion for wholesome, healthy food, chemical-free, for regenerative agriculture, for good soils," Kennedy said, before turning the microphone over to Shanahan who declared that "the purpose of wealth is to help those in need."
Shanahan, who is reportedly worth $500 million, is a controversial pick for the Kennedy campaign with her history of criticising IVF and her previous defence of "genetically edited babies." Kennedy himself has echoed some of her viewpoints, having previously criticised the fertility industry. Political pundits are waiting to see if the Shanahan pick will help or hinder Kennedy's campaign, with early polling showing the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket polling at just 3%.
Politically, Kennedy remains emboldened, having reportedly raised $2 million dollars at a fundraiser following Shanahan's unveiling. He's also garnered enough signatures to get on the ballot in four states (Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, and South Carolina), though it's unclear how much of Shanahan's money is behind these efforts.
Outside of politics, Kennedy has also been in the news following the release of a excerpt from reporter Peter Schweizer's book "Red-Handed: How American Liberals Are Wrong About Markets." In the book, Schweizer claims that Kennedy had repeatedly denied having any knowledge of the now defunct environmental organisation, Climate Change Counter Conference (CCCC). The CCCC was revealed to have been organising secret online meetings with prominent politicians and journalists in 2020, with the group having reportedly discussed plans to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to damage the Trump administration. Schweizer claims that one of the organisers of these meetings was Kennedy himself, who has repeatedly denied the claims.