RFK Jr.’s Ex-Running Mate Threatens Primary Against Nonexistent Senator for Potentially Opposing His Nomination
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Billionaire Nicole Shanahan, who was the running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., threatened to primary senators who vote against his nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In doing so, she absolutely butchered the name of one of the senators.
President Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to lead HHS, which alarmed public health experts and others who hate measles because of his anti-vaxx positions. Kennedy has baselessly claimed vaccines cause autism and said the Covid-19 vaccine has killed millions of people.
With Kennedy’s confirmation hearing set to begin on Wednesday morning, Shanahan took to X on Tuesday, where she posted a video warning senators not to oppose his nomination.
“He is more than qualified,” Shanahan said. “He’s proven, principled, and prepared to lead. I’ll list I’ll share a list below of key senators. If they represent your state, they need to hear from you. If they don’t, please call your own senator and ask them to vote yes.”
She then addressed several senators whose votes she said she would monitor.
“The two candidates I helped elect, Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff, please know I will be watching your votes very closely,” Shanahan added. “I will make it my personal mission that you lose your seats in the Senate if you vote against the future health of America’s children.”
Shanahan listed more senators, including “Lisa Markovsky.”
“And more than that, I also want to say to Senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Markovsky, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Thom Tillis, James Lankford, Cory Booker, John Fetterman, Bernie Sanders, and Catherine Cortez Masto,” she said. “This is a bipartisan message and it comes directly from me. While Bobby may be willing to play nice. I won’t. If you vote against him, I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election, and I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me.”
While it’s unclear what Markovsky’s position is on the nominee, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has reservations.
“Well I’m certainly concerned about it. I know others have other, other points of concerns that they want to drill down on and try to get some commitments, public commitments, from him on,” the senator said. “But vaccines are important.”
Kennedy initially ran for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, but failed to gain traction. He then launched an independent bid, which he ultimately abandoned to endorse Trump. In return, the president nominated Kennedy to lead arguably the most important public health agency in the U.S.
