Nicole Shanahan’s Stance on the Debt, Big Pharma, Health, the Border, and the Trump Verdict

Kennedy’s VP Talks to Ron Paul

By Adam Garrie, Breaking News Reporter, The Kennedy Beacon

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s VP pick, Nicole Shanahan, appeared on the Ron Paul Liberty Report, discussing key issues with the libertarian former congressman and physician, along with co-host Daniel McAdams. 

National Debt 

Dr. Ron Paul opened the podcast by asking Shanahan about her views on the skyrocketing national debt. Shanahan said that on the first day of a Kennedy administration, tracing and auditing government spending will be a priority. She questioned why so much money is spent on the military-industrial complex, “which goes into the hands of these private, military manufacturers.” 

The vice presidential candidate also criticized government spending on the pharmaceutical industry, blaming lobbyists from companies like Pfizer for leading the government into misplaced spending of public funds, due to the capture of regulatory agencies by corporations worth billions of dollars. 

By tackling spending on an “agency-by-agency” basis, Shanahan said that a Kennedy administration would reduce the fiscal burden, while simultaneously making America “healthier, not just from a fiscal standpoint, but from a biological standpoint as well.… We’re going to see it in our land and our economy and our soils and our people and our foreign policy.” 

Pharma Corruption, Bird Flu, Farmers

Like Kennedy, Shanahan is a passionate advocate for healthy living. She lamented how both the influence of the pharmaceutical lobby and crippling regulations on small and medium-sized farmers and ranchers have tipped the scales in favor of big agricultural conglomerates, food-processing firms, and chemical manufacturers. 

Shanahan expressed particular concern for how a scare campaign about a supposedly new bird flu is being used by federal agencies to further harm the livelihoods of already struggling family farmers and ranchers. She expressed strong opposition to an mRNA bird flu injection made by Moderna that could be injected into farm animals whose meat could end up in grocery stores and restaurants throughout the country. 

According to Shanahan, the COVID-19 debacle made it clear that the rapid deployment of mRNA vaccines is dangerous. She went on to call the injections “more of a gene therapy that is [not] a true inoculation.” Recently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that Pfizer and Moderna’s “mRNA vaccines” do not fit the definition of a vaccine, in part because they do not stop transmission. These were points emphasized by Shanahan in the interview.

The Border 

With voters’ eyes on the open southern border, Shanahan called the Biden administration’s approach to this issue one of “gross negligence.” Accusing the president of offering “blatant lies” to the American people when discussing illegal immigration, Shanahan added that Biden’s White House “set up perverse incentives for individuals to risk their lives to be human trafficked. We are aiding and abetting the cartels at this moment, because we are actively providing a policy around insecure borders.” 

Shanahan confirmed that a Kennedy administration would tackle this issue on its first day in office and would do so “respectfully, responsibly, and with great integrity.”

Healthy Food

Shanahan agreed with McAdams that Representative Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) has been a vital political voice on the subject of providing locally sourced, healthy foods to Americans. She further rejected the premise that beef is unhealthy and unsustainable, asserting that beef is a source of important nutrients and should be included in the diets of most people. 

Turning to arguments about beef’s relationship to ecological concerns, Shanahan said, “If you actually look at the real data, American-grown, grass-fed beef is not only carbon neutral, but in some cases is incredibly effective at drawing down carbon into the soil.” She added, “With really good land stewardship practices, ranchers might be our biggest partner in fighting ecological and climate issues.” 

Lawfare, the Trump Verdict

Shanahan reacted with dismay to what she described as the manner in which Democrats “celebrated” a guilty verdict being handed down to former president Trump in a so-called “hush money” trial. According to the vice presidential candidate, “It’s troubling to me that our Justice Department … as it relates to politics, has been turned into a tool. It has been turned into almost a game.”

Libertarianism 

Shanahan met McAdams during the 2024 Libertarian National Convention, where Kennedy spoke for nearly an hour. She indicated that the Kennedy campaign would continue to seek common ground with libertarian-leaning voters who are concerned about the Biden administration’s economic record, warmongering, and authoritarian tendencies. Although former president Trump characterized Shanahan as “liberal” she, like Kennedy, brings a sympathetic libertarian-leaning ear to the campaign.