Today Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, in his independent presidential campaign. Shanahan is a lawyer who works in philanthropy. She is also the ex-wife of Sergey Brin, who co-founded Google.
But it’s her Democratic ties—Shanahan contributed to the campaign of Kennedy’s competition, President Joe Biden, in 2020—that are receiving backlash from Conservative and Independent voters. As an independent candidate, Kennedy is working to persuade voters to support him over Biden and former President Donald Trump.
In a tweet posted hours before Shanahan was announced as Kennedy’s running mate, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk listed Shanahan’s political affiliations like her support for a Los Angeles ballot measure to increase social services and George Gascon, the Los Angeles District Attorney. George Soros, a progressive philanthropist who is widely hated by the right, donated millions to Gascon’s campaign.
“This is a far-left pick by RFK, who is apparently looking to shore up his progressive bona fides,” Kirk tweeted. “Major red flag for commonsense independents and centrist voters who are also sick of rising crime but intrigued by his campaign.”
Laura Loomer, another far-right activist, also took to X to express her disdain for Shanahan’s support for “radical democrats.” She also included the fact that Shanahan allegedly had an affair with tech billionaire, Elon Musk. Both have denied the affair.
“Did you know that Nicole Shanahan, @RobertKennedyJr’s VP pic is the Ex-Wife of Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin? Per their divorce records, it was revealed that her ex husband accused his ex wife of having an affair with @elonmusk,” Loomer tweeted. “She’s a Marxist who donates to Radical Democrats.”
Shanahan has not called herself a Marxist.
Many would-be Kennedy voters responded to a recent tweet from the presidential candidate to say they were disappointed in him for picking Shanahan—and that it cost him their votes.
“Man, I was rallying for you hard, but you dropped the ball,” a libertarian X user responded. “Big time.”
“She solidifies a hard pass for any right leaning people. Thanks for clarifying where you stand,” another X user wrote. “You are a definite No for me.”
“You lost my vote with this selection, Bobby,” another libertarian voter tweeted. “I don’t know who convinced you to choose her, but your ship has sunk due to this mistake.”
In her March 26 speech following an introduction by Kennedy, Shanahan said the Democratic party “has lost its way,” and that Kennedy has inspired her “hope for our democracy.”
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