Cash Crunch Underscores Why RFK Jr. Tapped Billionaire Anti-Vaxxer Nicole Shanahan as Running Mate … “He Chose Money Over Votes”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As reported in Politico, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign is on “financial life support”—signaling again that the RFK Jr. campaign has zero path to victory and will only play spoiler to President Biden’s reelection bid. While successful campaigns are creative in how they raise money, RFK Jr.’s camp has resorted to wild tactics like hawking raffle tickets for whale watching, sunset cruises, and falconry. Politico notes that these tactics “have only resulted in anemic small-dollar donation totals,” and the campaign is so desperate for the appearance of fundraising success that they are paying supporters back 15% of any funds they help donate.
RFK Jr.’s struggles in the fundraising department make it crystal clear why he chose Nicole Shanahan—the billionaire known for peddling dangerous misinformation about vaccines and reproductive care like IVF.
Even RFK Jr.’s allies and people on the shortlist to be his running mate have called out Shanahan’s $10 million cash infusion into the campaign. Former Governor Jesse Ventura pointed out: “He chose money over votes, I guess, because his running mate’s filthy rich!”
“RFK Jr. has no credible path to win in November. Reports that his campaign is on ‘financial life support’ are the latest evidence that voters and small-dollar funders are checking out of his anti-IVF, anti-abortion, anti-vaccine presidential ticket. This explains why the Kennedy Jr. campaign has to take MAGA money from Trump donors like Timothy Mellon and why he chose Silicon Valley billionaire Nicole Shanahan as his running mate to fund his bad idea of a campaign. When will RFK Jr. give up the charade and end this campaign that only serves to help Trump when reelection?” said MoveOn Political Action Chief Communications Officer Joel Payne.
BACKGROUND:
- RFK Jr.’s Super PAC, American Values 2024, is being kept afloat by one donor: Trump megadonor Tim Mellon, who has given the operation $25 million.
- Donald Trump’s allies are investing in third-party presidential candidates, such as RFK Jr., to swing the election against President Biden.
- Other RFK Jr. fundraisers have been linked to January 6, QAnoners, Christian nationalists, and far-right extremists.