RFK’s Vice Presidential Candidate Admits Doubts About Their Chances of Winning in November
The article discusses the impact of certain societal influences on an individual's perspective. As one critic notes, "They have, unfortunately, turned us into a spoiler,” she said, highlighting concerns about how these forces can diminish enjoyment and anticipation in various aspects of life.
TroibNews 
Nicole Shanahan, who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in his independent campaign, acknowledged that their ticket is a long shot for the White House this November as she has invested a significant portion of her wealth into the venture.
In a recent podcast interview with Tom Bilyeu, published on Tuesday, Shanahan commented on the possibility of Kennedy supporting former President Donald 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 [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump,” she stated. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we walk away from that, and explain to our base why we're making this decision.”
Shanahan mentioned that Kennedy, known for his public skepticism about vaccine safety, could find a position within the Department of Health and Human Services if Trump secures a second term. She also expressed her interest in pursuing office again in future elections.
Regarding the current campaign, Shanahan criticized the Democratic Party and its aligned PACs for undermining the Kennedy campaign’s chances.
“They have, unfortunately, turned us into a spoiler,” she said. “And we don't want to be a spoiler. We wanted to win. We wanted a fair shot. The DNC made that impossible for us.”
While a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign did not provide a comment, they shared a post from Kennedy on X indicating his openness to meeting with political party leaders.
Larry Sharpe, a consultant for the super PAC that supports Kennedy, remarked that Shanahan “felt betrayed” by the Democratic Party and that her experience has fueled her anger.
“She just didn't know because she was at the donor level [in the Democratic Party], and when she moved into the mud with the rest of us, now you see how bad it actually is,” he explained.
Kennedy reportedly met with Trump during the Republican National Convention week to discuss the possibility of endorsing the GOP nominee but the talks fell through after a portion of their private conversation was made public.
“I will say that Trump has taken genuine, sincere interest in our policies around chronic disease. He takes it seriously,” Shanahan noted during the podcast.
The Washington Post recently reported that Kennedy attempted to contact Harris’ campaign to discuss potentially joining a future Harris administration, but no meeting materialized.
“After a hit piece nearly every day for months, after rigged primaries, rigged debates, rigged ballot access, rigged polling, Bobby is still front and center as a potential spoiler, a potential kingmaker, as the candidate who might force a contingent election or a wild card candidate who might just emerge as a centrist, common sense alternative candidate who comes out of nowhere and wins the whole thing,” said Tony Lyons, co-founder of the super PAC supporting Kennedy, in a text message.
However, groups like the DNC, which are organizing against third-party candidates, quickly criticized Shanahan's candid remarks regarding the race.
“Nicole Shanahan isn’t even pretending to be a serious VP candidate anymore,” said Lis Smith, a DNC communications adviser. “From the beginning of this race, we’ve said that RFK Jr. is nothing more than a spoiler for Donald Trump, and we’re glad that his running mate is finally admitting it.”
Although the campaign has secured a place on ballots in around 20 states—a notable achievement for an independent candidate—it has been a costly and lengthy process. Kennedy mentioned in a recent CBS News interview that his campaign halted events due to expenses.
While Shanahan engages in regular podcast interviews on her YouTube channel, she has spent limited time on the campaign trail since being named Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee in March. Kennedy himself has not conducted a public campaign event since July.
Shanahan expressed that her focus now is on "a vision that goes beyond November," aiming to establish a third party as a serious contender for the 2028 elections.
Sharpe stated that Shanahan understands this campaign extends beyond their current ticket, but if Kennedy remains in the race, he can still influence the outcome.
“The Kennedy campaign owns a chunk of American voters. I don't know what that chunk is — he's been as low as 5% as high as 19,” he said. “So who knows what that percentage is, but any of that, whatever that number is, that will decide the election.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a recent podcast interview with Tom Bilyeu, published on Tuesday, Shanahan commented on the possibility of Kennedy supporting former President Donald 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 [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump,” she stated. “Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we walk away from that, and explain to our base why we're making this decision.”
Shanahan mentioned that Kennedy, known for his public skepticism about vaccine safety, could find a position within the Department of Health and Human Services if Trump secures a second term. She also expressed her interest in pursuing office again in future elections.
Regarding the current campaign, Shanahan criticized the Democratic Party and its aligned PACs for undermining the Kennedy campaign’s chances.
“They have, unfortunately, turned us into a spoiler,” she said. “And we don't want to be a spoiler. We wanted to win. We wanted a fair shot. The DNC made that impossible for us.”
While a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign did not provide a comment, they shared a post from Kennedy on X indicating his openness to meeting with political party leaders.
Larry Sharpe, a consultant for the super PAC that supports Kennedy, remarked that Shanahan “felt betrayed” by the Democratic Party and that her experience has fueled her anger.
“She just didn't know because she was at the donor level [in the Democratic Party], and when she moved into the mud with the rest of us, now you see how bad it actually is,” he explained.
Kennedy reportedly met with Trump during the Republican National Convention week to discuss the possibility of endorsing the GOP nominee but the talks fell through after a portion of their private conversation was made public.
“I will say that Trump has taken genuine, sincere interest in our policies around chronic disease. He takes it seriously,” Shanahan noted during the podcast.
The Washington Post recently reported that Kennedy attempted to contact Harris’ campaign to discuss potentially joining a future Harris administration, but no meeting materialized.
“After a hit piece nearly every day for months, after rigged primaries, rigged debates, rigged ballot access, rigged polling, Bobby is still front and center as a potential spoiler, a potential kingmaker, as the candidate who might force a contingent election or a wild card candidate who might just emerge as a centrist, common sense alternative candidate who comes out of nowhere and wins the whole thing,” said Tony Lyons, co-founder of the super PAC supporting Kennedy, in a text message.
However, groups like the DNC, which are organizing against third-party candidates, quickly criticized Shanahan's candid remarks regarding the race.
“Nicole Shanahan isn’t even pretending to be a serious VP candidate anymore,” said Lis Smith, a DNC communications adviser. “From the beginning of this race, we’ve said that RFK Jr. is nothing more than a spoiler for Donald Trump, and we’re glad that his running mate is finally admitting it.”
Although the campaign has secured a place on ballots in around 20 states—a notable achievement for an independent candidate—it has been a costly and lengthy process. Kennedy mentioned in a recent CBS News interview that his campaign halted events due to expenses.
While Shanahan engages in regular podcast interviews on her YouTube channel, she has spent limited time on the campaign trail since being named Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee in March. Kennedy himself has not conducted a public campaign event since July.
Shanahan expressed that her focus now is on "a vision that goes beyond November," aiming to establish a third party as a serious contender for the 2028 elections.
Sharpe stated that Shanahan understands this campaign extends beyond their current ticket, but if Kennedy remains in the race, he can still influence the outcome.
“The Kennedy campaign owns a chunk of American voters. I don't know what that chunk is — he's been as low as 5% as high as 19,” he said. “So who knows what that percentage is, but any of that, whatever that number is, that will decide the election.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
