Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly considering amplifying the name recognition factor associated with his campaign by inviting another notable individual to join him on the ticket as his vice-presidential pick.
Kennedy is reportedly considering teaming up with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers or Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, a colorful professional wrestler and former outspoken television show host.
A spokesperson for the third-party candidate confirmed: “He’s considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a short list. No other details are available.”
Reports indicate Kennedy will announce his running mate in the next two weeks.
BREAKING: Robert Kennedy Jr. has selected his running mate and intends on announcing who that person is within the next two weeks.
The Washington Post also reports that RFK Jr. has considered the following people to be his VP:
Scott Brown (Former Representative, Senator, and… pic.twitter.com/iCG8aEDyS2— Christian Movick (@ChristianM_74) March 13, 2024
Both Rodgers and Ventura have significant followings and have expressed views that align with Kennedy’s independent political platform.
Ventura has a colorful past, having ridden with the Mongols motorcycle club, worked as a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones and played the villain in the professional wrestling world and Hollywood movies — including “The Predator,” “The Running Man” and “Batman & Robin.”
The Saturday Evening Post reported that Ventura has long been an advocate for gay rights, legalizing marijuana, abolishing capital punishment and abortion rights. In 1998, after serving as mayor of Brooklyn Park, Ventura successfully won Minnesota’s gubernatorial election under Ross Perot’s Reform Party.
In recent years, Ventura has identified as an independent; One America News noted Ventura said: “I’m an independent. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican because I know they’re not the solution.”
Rodgers is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and a four-time National Football League MVP. His 19-year professional football career is exceptional. Though a household name in the sports world, his political views are less known. Rodgers, however, has expressed dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden, mandated COVID vaccinations and the state of politics today.
Rodgers previously declared that Biden was “not a fan” of him, noting that the president previously demanded that his team “tell your quarterback to get vaccinated.”
The star quarterback and Kennedy became political allies in 2022 over Biden administration COVID vaccination policies. Kennedy and Rodgers both repudiated mandated vaccines and Biden’s comments on the matter during his 2022 State of the Union Address.
Kennedy, a long-time Democrat, claims the party has drifted from the values most held in the 1960s-1990s. His views and lack of being able to garner significant support from the DNC base prompted him to run for the highest office in the land as an independent.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has encouraged Kennedy to suspend his campaign and criticized the third-party candidate’s decision to float Rodgers’ name as a possible VP.
Democratic National Committee senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said, “The Three Stooges reunion was something no one was asking for. It’s no surprise this is the shortlist considering the conspiracy theorist is doing the choosing.”
NBC News host Hallie Jackson claimed that a strong third-party run by Kennedy would hurt former President Donald Trump more than President Biden’s campaign, though she acknowledged “that is not the conventional wisdom.”
