Democrats are ramping up their attacks on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he revealed his choice of Nicole Shanahan for vice president on Tuesday, claiming the selection would benefit former President Donald Trump.
As reported earlier, Nicole Shanahan, a California-based attorney and entrepreneur who was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brinn, will be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in his independent presidential campaign.
According to Kennedy’s supporters, the choice of Shanahan, a philanthropist and patent attorney, will generate buzz for the campaign as it heads into the general election, while also allowing him to check a necessary box in several states that require an Independent to have a running mate in order to qualify for ballots.
However, many pro-President Biden individuals in the party are attacking Kennedy as a “spoiler” fueled by GOP finances and conspiracy theories, trashing his presidential candidacy just after he announced his running partner in Oakland, California.
“I am personally offended and just disgusted by his campaign,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said during a call hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “He should be ashamed of himself. He should stop running for president.”
Just after Kennedy announced his choice of Shanahan, the DNC held a conference call with elected Democrats from swing states to warn about what Kennedy’s candidacy may imply for Biden’s prospects of defeating Trump twice.
“He’s a spoiler,” Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said on the call. “He was drafted into this race by Donald Trump’s top supporters.”
“He has no realistic path to victory in Pennsylvania,” he added.
Just before he announced Shanahan, a super PAC geared to supporting Biden started the website rfkjrfacts. The site includes composite photographs of Kennedy and Trump, as well as members from the former president’s orbit, including right-wing friend Steve Bannon.
“RFK Jr. is a MAGA-backed candidate who is bankrolled by billionaires to help reelect Donald Trump,” text on the landing page reads. “RFK Jr.’s platform is extremely dangerous: he pushes conspiracy theories that divide our country, has made millions of dollars opposing vaccines, and has a history of anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-Semitic remarks.”
The super PAC, Clear Choice, also produced a new commercial aimed at highlighting Kennedy’s links to Trumpism, including video footage of Kennedy stating he’s “proud” that Trump “likes” him.
“Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Nicole Shanahan have only one chance of seeing the inside of the Oval Office: if Trump wins and invites them in to say thank you,” Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs of the Democratic group Third Way, said in a statement.
Republicans who support Trump have also attacked Kennedy, fearing that the Independent candidacy could erode the former president’s popularity.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a far-left radical that supports reparations, backs the Green New Deal, and wants to ban fracking. It’s no surprise he would pick a Biden donor leftist as his running mate,” Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesperson for the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., wrote in a statement shortly after Kennedy’s Tuesday announcement.
“RFK’s VP choice, Nicole Shanahan, is a six-figure donor to… George Gascon, the pro-crime, Soros-backed prosecutor who helped wreck San Francisco and is currently wrecking LA. She also spent big on Measure J, a Los Angeles measure to reroute spending from law enforcement and prisons to ‘social services’ and ‘mental health treatment’ — in other words, not putting criminals and dangerous psychos behind bars,” said conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“This is a far-left pick by RFK, who is apparently looking to shore up his progressive bona fides,” he added. “Major red flag for commonsense independents and centrist voters who are also sick of rising crime but intrigued by his campaign.”
“If you still think RFK Jr. is going to take more votes from Trump than Biden, you’re VERY mistaken,” said journalist Nick Sortor. “Nicole Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, has been a HUGE funder of left wing Soros-backed DAs such as LA County DA George Gascon.”
“Nicole is an avid backer of California-style ‘criminal justice reforms’ that cut dangerous criminals loose and back into the streets rather than holding them accountable for crimes,” he continued. “And that’s just scratching the surface. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid for President just took a nosedive.”
Shanahan was the force behind Kennedy’s well-received Super Bowl commercial, as the New York Times earlier noted.
“They align on numerous issues,” a source allegedly close to the Kennedy campaign said. “The campaign is also looking for a candidate who can help finance the ballot access initiative,” which is critical to RFK Jr. standing a chance of competing in the election.
“She might be infusing millions of dollars into the campaign to help fund the ballot initiative, which makes her attractive financially; however, she lacks the qualifications to actually do the job,” the source claimed.
As I mentioned on X, RFK’s pick hurts Biden more than Trump in the 2024 race.
While the MAGA right is appalled at RFK Jr.'s VP pick, the 3D chess indicates it's Team Biden who should be freaking out https://t.co/5JzSUd9eyt
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) March 26, 2024
“While the MAGA right is appalled at RFK Jr.’s VP pick, the 3D chess indicates it’s Team Biden who should be freaking out,” I said. “Biden’s base is way more vulnerable than Trump’s base. RFK’s people know that. While disappointing to the right, RFK in most ways is a man of the left. This reinforces his pull with alienated, loosely attached Biden voters.”
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