“Kennedy’s pledge to unravel this corporate takeover will help end this chronic disease epidemic,” Ryerson said.
Bhattacharya stated that he was “thrilled” that Kennedy “lent his significant voice” to the cause of freedom of speech. Bhattacharya is one of the authors of the ‘Great Barrington Declaration’, an open letter that argued there should be no Covid lockdowns, but instead ‘targeted protection’ for older and immunocompromised people; these views were not widely shared by the scientific community.
Chris Clem spoke about his shared desire with Kennedy to secure the border.
Calley Means then claimed that both “the media” and many politicians are funded by pharmaceutical companies. “Less SSRIs,” he declared in a representative soundbite. “More sunlight and healthy food.”
“We need a president who questions the science,” he added.
Finally, after several more speakers, videos and performances — including a dirge-like rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” by singer Tim Hockenberry and a florid “America the Beautiful” by singer Mika Hale — Kennedy’s wife, the actor Cheryl Hines , took the stage to introduce her husband.
Hines has spent years in an uncomfortable position regarding her husband’s anti-vaccine activism, which she was eventually forced to comment and disavowed when Kennedy hinted at an anti-Covid mandates meeting that the vaccine mandates had been worse than the Holocaust.
On stage, Hines struck the more conventional tone of a political spouse, telling the crowd that Kennedy would bring the country together. “America is listening,” she said, adding that the nation is “inspired.”
In his speech announcing Shanahan, as he has done throughout his campaign, Kennedy again leaned heavily on his family’s legacy, recounting how his father, Robert Kennedy, had a “rancorous” meeting with local NAACP and Black Panther leaders in Oakland, which eventually led to their political support and the Black Panthers providing security for his father’s campaign. (Robert Kennedy was assassinated by gunman Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 during his own bid for president.)
In recent weeks, the Kennedy campaign has teased several other VP picks, most notably NFL player Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota governor turned media figure Jesse Ventura. These choices seemed designed to appeal to a young male voter base and, like Kennedy, are people who have promoted and spread conspiracy theories. But on March 16 Mediaite reported that Shanahan was Kennedy’s choice, citing sources close to the campaign. That source also told the station that Shanahan could help fund Kennedy’s efforts to get more votes in the state, but added, “She lacks the qualifications to actually do the job.”
In recent months, the DNC has also opposed Kennedy as a spoiler candidate and a boon to Trump. Speaking to reporters said according to CNNa DNC adviser called RFK “a stalking horse” who was “supported” by Trump and his donors.
“Our campaign is a spoiler,” Kennedy said to cheers on Tuesday. “I agree. It’s a spoiler for President Biden and for President Trump. It’s a spoiler for the war machine” and for other targets, including “Big Ag and Big Pharma.” Millions of people, he said, could choose not to vote at all rather than choose between the “two tired heads of the uniparty”.
“Nicole and I,” he added, “are going to give those millions another choice.”
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.