Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has selected Nicole Shanahan, a tech attorney and entrepreneur, to join his independent presidential campaign as his running mate.
During an event in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Kennedy declared the details of their 2024 ticket and highlighted the differences it would have compared to President Biden and former President Trump.
During the event, he expressed admiration for Shanahan, describing her as a remarkable individual who embodies the essence of the American dream. He highlighted that Shanahan’s parents were immigrants and she managed to overcome numerous challenges to reach the pinnacle of success.
Kennedy proudly introduced Nicole Shanahan as the next vice president of the United States. He described her as not only a fellow lawyer, but also a brilliant scientist, technologist, and a fierce warrior-mom.
Kennedy’s selection of Shanahan brings a valuable aspect of age and gender diversity to the ticket. Shanahan, at 38 years old, represents a significant generational contrast to Kennedy, who is 70. Additionally, having a female running mate helps to balance the ticket in a time when the leading candidates from the Democratic, Republican, and Independent parties are all older white men.
Bia-Echo Foundation’s founder and president, Anne Wojcicki, is a California-based entrepreneur who brings a successful funding stream to the Kennedy campaign. As the former spouse of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Shanahan provided the majority of the financing for Kennedy’s February Super Bowl ad, which garnered millions of viewers. Additionally, she established ClearAccessIP, an analytics company, following her time in law school.
According to Kennedy, he expressed his desire for a running mate who shares his strong disapproval of how Big Tech companies engage in censorship, surveillance, and information warfare against the American people. He also noted that technology has been a lifelong passion for Shanahan.
“I am excited to welcome someone who possesses extensive insider knowledge of how Big Tech leverages artificial intelligence to manipulate the public,” he expressed.
According to a report by Mediaite, Kennedy has selected Shanahan as his running mate to complete his ticket.
In her remarks, Shanahan expressed that her political beliefs, centered around promoting peace and aiding the impoverished, initially led her to align with the Democratic Party. However, she believes that the party has veered off track in recent times.
“I was naturally drawn to the Democratic Party because it was known for promoting peace and compassion. While many Democrats still hold onto those values, the party itself has veered off course,” she expressed.
“There is currently only one candidate who strongly opposes war and advocates for peace, and interestingly, this candidate does not belong to either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Instead, he is an independent named Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”
During her remarks, Shanahan made the announcement that she was departing from the Democratic Party.
“This independent movement arises during a period of intense division in America, which poses a threat to the unity of our nation. It is crucial that we undergo a re-alignment, as emphasized by Bobby Kennedy, and prioritize our shared values rather than our differences,” she expressed.
Being in close proximity to Silicon Valley grants Kennedy an advantage in accessing wealthy resources for his White House campaign. This is particularly crucial as he undertakes the expensive task of securing ballot access for the upcoming general election.
