A former vice presidential candidate from the 2024 presidential election has been baptized as a Christian after more than a decade of practicing Judaism. In a post on X on Tuesday, Nicole Shanahan, the vice presidential running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in their independent campaign, announced her baptism.
Titled "My Baptism Story," Shanahan's post recalls a night in January when she experienced a heavy sensation that felt “thick and suffocating, like the air before a storm” after waking in the middle of the night to calm her young daughter who had suffered a “night terror.”
Shanahan, a 39-year-old patent attorney and tech entrepreneur, detailed how this “heaviness” felt like “a presence—something unseen yet undeniable.” She said, “At that moment, I could only think to bow my head, close my eyes, and offer a silent prayer to God.”
Her journey toward Christianity began four months earlier, in September 2024, following a “heart-wrenching loss” in her family. She encountered “a deeply faithful soul who helped guide me closer to Jesus” and “prayed with me after my loss.” Shanahan met this individual, identified as Diane Robinson, through her Christian masseuse after asking if he knew “anyone who can help keep 'bad energy' away from people.” After experiencing the wave of “heaviness,” she reached out to Robinson to express her desire to get baptized.
The baptism took place in Shanahan's backyard in Atherton, California, on January 19, the day before President Donald Trump's inauguration, and was conducted by Robinson and her husband, Peter. Both are noted as “bishop” and “apostle” on Shanahan's baptismal certificate.
"During that meeting, Diane opened her worn and well-loved Bible — filled with highlights, underlines, and Post-it tabs. A book that had been studied and prayed over thousands of times. She moved through it with laser precision, guiding me to verse after verse as I struggled to read through my blurry tear-filled eyes," Shanahan stated.
While Shanahan has always “believed in God,” she admitted that she never fully understood the reality of evil. Reflecting on her upbringing, she noted, “Growing up with a father who seemed overcome by his demons, I try to avoid 'bad energy.' He was addicted to alcohol and would fall into manic rages, yelling profanities at the wall.” She continued, “I was taught that my father was a 'sick' person, but I never seriously considered whether demons were real — until recently.”
Shanahan shared her earlier spiritual journey, which included “meditative prayer” and converting to Judaism in 2014. She expressed, “Now, my prayers are directed toward Jesus. He is the bridge between us and heaven — our Intercessor before the Divine Creator.”
With the New Testament in hand, she stated, “I see the world’s spiritual pain in a way I never could before. It’s like a veil has been lifted, revealing a deeper understanding of the struggle between light and darkness. Today, I am a Jew for Jesus.”
Included in her post was a picture of Shanahan and her husband, Jacob, fully immersed in a swimming pool with the couple who baptized them. She urged “those who are searching, who feel the same longing I once did” to “keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.”
“Faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in the One who does. And when you find Him, you will know you are finally home,” she concluded.
