RFK Jr.’s Own Running Mate Lashes Out and Claims Someone Is ‘Controlling’ Him
The billionaire Silicon Valley divorcée said she’s either being lied to by Kennedy—or a shady figure is making his decisions.

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s former running mate claimed that someone else is controlling his decisions as the country’s health chief.
Nicole Shanahan, one-half of her fellow vaccine skeptic’s ill-fated 2024 presidential bid, said on social media that a shady figure (not President Donald Trump!) is acting as RFK Jr.’s puppet master.
The billionaire Silicon Valley divorcée was reacting to news that Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means, a MAHA wellness influencer along with her brother Calley Means, as surgeon general after pulling his first pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
“It’s very strange. Doesn’t make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),” Shanahan, who owes her wealth to her divorce from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, wrote on X.
Yes, it's very strange. Doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be). I don't know if RFK very clearly… https://t.co/KDb5O5MvAM
— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) May 8, 2025
“I don’t know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on. It has been clear in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn’t President Trump),” Shanahan added of her former running mate.

RFK Jr. is Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services.
ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Casey Means’ brother, Calley Means, joined the Trump administration in March as a Department of Health and Human Services special government employee.
ADVERTISEMENT
Shanahan, 39, said that the siblings are “artificial and aggressive,” adding that they could be “bred and raised Manchurian assets.”
Trump announced Casey Means’ nomination in a Truth Social post about an hour before Shanahan’s X post.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America,” he wrote.
He lauded her “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials,” and said she will work closely with “our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”
RFK Jr. and Shanahan greet people after she became his vice presidential candidate, in Oakland, California.
Laure Andrillon/REUTERS
“Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding. Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History,” he added.
“Congratulations to Casey! Secretary Kennedy looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Shanahan has attracted attention over the last few months with posts on chemtrails and a religious conversion.
In February, she posted a video from a beach pointing at clouds and suggesting they were evidence of “geoengineering,” a reference to a conspiracy theory that posits that contrails left by planes are being used to leave chemical and biological agents in the sky and control the weather.
Shanahan also revealed a religious conversion days after an appearance on a podcast with Russell Brand, the British comedian who was accused of rape last year and shortly after announced his conversion to Christianity.
Shanahan said she had become a “Jew for Jesus.” The 39-year-old, who was raised Catholic, converted to Judaism after marrying a Jewish man weeks after starting an affair with Brin.
RFK Jr., meanwhile, said that Means will be a “juggernaut against the ossified medical conventions.”
“The Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine,” RFK Jr. said on X. “Casey Means was born to hold this job. She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom, and gold-standard medical advice even when it challenges popular orthodoxies.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.

