(NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his running mate pick Wednesday, saying 38-year-old Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan “probably has a higher IQ than almost anybody I’ve seen in public life today.”
Kennedy joined NewsNation’s “CUOMO” on Wednesday for his first interview since announcing Shanahan as his vice presidential pick. He made the announcement earlier this week at an event in Oakland, California, touting Shanahan’s passion for nutrition and healthy lifestyles, as well as her work with technology and artificial intelligence.
Critics have questioned whether Shanahan checks enough boxes to help lead the country, but Kenendy doubled down, saying the nation needs an outsider: “Insiders gave us the chronic disease epidemic” and a “$34 trillion debt.”
“It’s not someone inside who’s going to solve the problem,” Kennedy said. “They’re the ones who gave us the problem. We need someone who can think about it in a different way.”
Shanahan has never held elected office and has a history of donating to Democratic candidates.
Kennedy said he chose Shanahan in part because of her age, pointing to aging politicians in Washington, D.C., and a lack of representation for millennials who feel frustrated by decisions made by previous generations. He also highlighted her expertise in AI and chronic disease and criticized other administrations’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Unfortunately, we got two presidents who made a series of bad choices, drove up … $16 trillion in costs, destroyed an entire generation of kids and their learning … you do not shut down a country for a respiratory illness,” he said.
Kennedy dropped his Democratic presidential bid in October, opting instead to run as an independent.
His shortlist of possible running mates ahead of Tuesday’s announcement included NFL player Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe, author Tony Robbins, and civil rights and constitutional law attorney Tricia Lindsay, as well as Shanahan.
Shanahan grew up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants in a home where the family often relied on public assistance. She later married Google co-founder Sergey Brin but the couple divorced following rumors she had an affair with Elon Musk, something both she and Musk denied.
Shanahan’s causes include criminal justice reform, mental health, autism research, research into infertility and aging, regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration. While she has denied being anti-vaccine, Shanahan has questioned whether there should be additional screening for vaccine injuries.