RFK Jr's VP choice puzzles Libertarians amid talk of campaign on party ticket

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s choice of running mate has met with confused reactions among Libertarian Party leaders amid reported talks about mounting a campaign on their ticket.

Kennedy tapped San Francisco attorney Nicole Shanahan to be his running mate earlier this week. Former President Donald Trump later celebrated the choice as "great for MAGA," contending that she was further to the left than Kennedy himself.

Trump is evidently not alone in the sentiment, as Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle has expressed concerns about Shanahan's potential place in the party in hypothetical bid.

"So I’m really unsure how she’s going to fit in with the Libertarian Party. You know, I’m anxious to hear about it," she said on NewsNation's "The Hill." "I think that a lot of libertarians are a little bit confused over why he chose Nicole Shanahan. I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but she doesn’t necessarily fit into alignment with any of our views."

"I think that he’s going to have to really show us, and she certainly will as well, that they care about individual and economic freedom in particular, and that they want to continue to be, you know, they want to be our standard-bearers," she went on. "And I certainly understand, you know, that they’re not going to come into alignment with us on every single issue."

Kennedy met with McArdle in late February, prompting reports that he was seeking to run on the party's ticket, which would help him appear on the ballot in all 50 states.

Kennedy initially launched his campaign as a Democratic primary challenge to President Joe Biden, though he ultimately opted for an independent run. He currently averages 10.4% support, according to RealClearPolitics.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.