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August 20, 2024 - 7:00pm
Nicole Shanahan, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s running mate, said she was considering suspending their campaign in order to help Donald Trump win the US election during a podcast appearance released today.
In a conversation with Tom Bilyeu, the vice-presidential candidate said she and Kennedy could stay in the race in the hopes of winning enough votes to establish a strong third party for future elections, but acknowledged this would run the risk of ushering in a Harris-Walz presidency by drawing votes from Trump. The other option, she said, is to “walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump”.
While Shanahan insisted that “technically… we could absolutely win”, her comments suggest that she’s reconciled herself to an almost certain defeat. “We just have to keep being honest,” she said. “I need to focus on a vision that goes beyond November.”
RFK’s VP Nicole Shanahan says they are debating whether to stay in the race or drop out and join forces with Trump:
“There’s two options that we’re looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Waltz presidency because we… pic.twitter.com/O3HrLbbCLO
— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) August 20, 2024
This acknowledgement is unusual even among long-shot candidates, as is her deference to her Republican opponent. But while the RFK-Shanahan ticket may be running against Trump, Shanahan appears to view Harris as the more serious threat, both to their campaign and to the country. She blamed the DNC for “sabotage” and “lawfare” against their third-party ticket, and claimed the DNC “planted insiders into our campaign to disrupt it and to create actual legal issues for us”.
“We are taking a very serious look at making sure that the people that have corrupted our fair and free democracy do not end up in office in November,” Shanahan added. “I really wanted a fair shot at this election, and I believed in the America that I, a little girl, pledged an allegiance to. And that is not where we are today, and it’s not because of the Republican Party taking us out, it is exclusively because of the Democratic Party taking us out.”
RFK Jr reportedly made an offer to Trump to drop out of the race in exchange for a cabinet position in the latter’s administration, then made a similar offer to Harris following a rejection from the GOP. Shanahan, for her part, said in today’s interview that she has not ruled out running for governor of California, another apparent admission that the campaign is unlikely to succeed. The campaign has raised $51 million in this election cycle, and the American Values 2024 PAC that supports Kennedy has raised $50 million. The independent candidate’s polls peaked at 16% in July before falling down to 12% after Biden exited the race, according to RealClearPolitics polls.
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SubscribeGo ahead. This will send the Dems who were deluded enough to think supporting the lunatic RFK was a good idea back into the fold. But it doesn’t really matter – Harris is going to win in a landslide anyway.
The lefties in the RFK camp have already migrated back to Harris. That’s why her support has increased 4.5% since Biden dropped out and RFKs support has dropped 4%.
Although I usually find your comments more annoying than amusing, you have mastered the art of trolling, which, I suppose, is something. Happy trolling, C.S.
I’ve always thought trolling should have some level of subtlety about it.
Very laudable, although I suspect that you are in a small minority.
To me, the perfect troll is one where the recipient has to think “was that a troll or not?”
Bit too one-note, really. A good troll should have some creativity.
When Bobby Kennedy picked Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential running mate I was not impressed. She seemed like a Kamala Harris airhead. An Asian/White Barbie doll to Kamala Harris’s Black/Indian. Someone who lucked into a huge fortune in gold digger fashion.
My opinion has changed. I’m still not a fan of hers, but I do like Nicole Shanahan’s fresh and thoughtful approach to politics. I don’t think she’s going to get anywhere with it as far as winning any office, but I think she’ll make a good effort and I’m glad to see her doing that.
We need more people like Nicole Shanahan in politics. Pragmatic, unassuming, and somewhat quietly persistent. Instead we get too many dogmatic hyperbolists, shouters and cacklers.
UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting that on Friday August 23 Bobby Kennedy will be dropping out of the presidential race and will ask his supporters to support Donald Trump.
I see a person who has witnessed the Dems undemocratic and Machiavellian tactics up front and personal. She may be smart. She may be reasonable. I have no idea really. I also suspect she would march lockstep with the Dems if she hadn’t experienced it personally.
Maybe so, maybe no.
I hope Kamala gave one of her trademark cackles when RFK asked to be promised a cabinet position.
RFK has stated on the record that no such conversation with the Harris campaign ever happened. It’s a dirty trick by the DNC.
He would say that, wouldn’t he?
Funny, but in reality she probably cackles in response to every question.
Kennedy definitely had something to offer and so I hope he does end up being able to contribute to the next administration, preferably Trump’s.
Perhaps as Baby Bear Czar or Brainworm Ambassador.
Conspiracy Secretary?
If it’s true that he’s told both sides that he’ll stand down if they give him a job, the most appropriate title would be w***e in Chief.
What do you mean “preferably Trump’s”? What do you think are the chances of Harris hiring him?
RFK will fit perfectly with the whole weird vibe that Trump has mastered.
They lose in another landslide.
How easily you are manipulated. Already using the word “weird” and “vibe” in your denunciations.
Yeah. Those words didn’t even exist before the Harris Campaign invented them.
Just between the two of us, is Chinese socialism most to your liking, or the North Korean kind? Not important, just curious.
No surprises there. Trump and RFK Jr are two peas in a pod.
RFK ambitions about as dead as that bear he dragged into Central Park. Should be some amusement though in seeing his ego and nuttiness run into Trump’s.
I think Trump should put RFK in charge of the DEA, it’s about time we had a heroin addict in charge.
Shanahan is by all accounts a progressive Dem, for her to say this is either off the reservation, or she and RFKJ are truly disaffected — remarkable!
Not sure if they would take votes from Trump, but if they do, it will be bad for America (like Starmer for Britain) and yet will plant more seeds of a conservative renewal to bloom in coming years.
Trump and RFK. A double dose of crazy! It should be a sit-com not a presidential campaign.