Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently approached NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura to serve as his running mate on an independent presidential ticket, and both welcomed the overtures, two people familiar with the discussions said. . .
Mr Kennedy confirmed on Tuesday that the two men were at the top of his list. However, it is not clear whether any of them have been formally offered the position, and Mr Kennedy is still considering a shortlist of potential candidates. those familiar with the discussions said.
Mr. Kennedy said he had been talking to Mr. Rogers “quite constantly” over the past month and had been in touch with Mr. Ventura since the former governor introduced him at a campaign event last month in Arizona.
A spokesman for Mr. Rodgers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Ventura’s son, Tyrell Ventura, said in an email late Tuesday: “No one has formally asked Governor Ventura to be a vice presidential candidate, so the governor is not commenting on speculation.”
The involvement of Mr. Rodgers — who is expected to start for the New York Jets this fall, at the height of the election season — or Mr. Ventura could add star power and independent zeal to Mr. Kennedy’s underdog bid. .
Polls show Mr. Kennedy getting roughly equal numbers of votes from both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump — but Democrats are far more worried than Republicans that he could swing the election toward Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden’s allies are working to keep Mr. Kennedy off the ballot across the country.
Mr. Kennedy, 70, an environmental lawyer and scion of a prominent Democratic family, has become known in recent years for his skepticism about vaccines and for promoting conspiracy theories about the federal government and the public health apparatus. Mr Rodgers has also increasingly embraced the role of celebrity provocateur and contrarian for his positions on vaccines, public health and the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Kennedy is expected to name his vice president in the coming weeks, ahead of deadlines in states that require him to have a vice-presidential pick to file for ballot access. He originally ran for president as a Democrat, but announced in October that he would run as an independent, accusing Democrats of corruptly blocking his challenge to Mr. Biden.
In recent months, Mr. Kennedy and his camp have reached out to at least half a dozen people, of varying degrees of formality, to gauge their interest in serving as his vice president. In addition to Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura, he is said to have spoken to former representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. and Andrew Young, a former presidential candidate and mayor of New York, said the two people familiar with the discussions. Puck News previously reported the approach to Mr. Yang.
Mr. Yang did not respond to requests for comment. Mr Pavlos’ office did not respond to a request for comment. Ms. Gabbard could not be reached for comment.
All but Mr. Rogers and Mr. Ventura have rejected him or their talks have not progressed, the people familiar with the discussions said.
If anything could be taken as a hint as to where Mr. Kennedy might be leaning, the domain name kennedyrodgers.com was registered last week using a GoDaddy host.
Mr. Rodgers, 40, is a four-time winner of the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award, leading the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory in 2011. He is expected to start for the New York Jets this year after making his debut with the team last season ended abruptly with a ruptured left Achilles tendon in the opening minutes of the first game.
It’s unclear how a run for the nation’s second-highest office might work with his day job. He said recently that he hoped to play in the NFL for “two or three or four more years.”
It also wouldn’t be the first time Mr Rodgers has tried to add a side gig to his football career. In 2021, while playing for the Packers, he was among those auditioning to host the quiz show “Jeopardy!”
A spokesman for the New York Jets did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The team is owned by Woody Johnson, a prominent donor to former President Donald J. Trump. Mr Trump appointed Mr Johnson his ambassador to Britain.
Mr. Rogers has been outspoken on political and social issues in recent years. Last month, in an appearance on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, Mr Rogers said he had lost friends, allies and sponsorships because of his public decision not to vaccinate.
Mr Rogers promoted his skepticism about Covid vaccines during his regular guest appearances on the ESPN show hosted by Pat McAfee, a former football player turned podcaster. In January, Mr. Rogers fell out with the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel when he falsely said court documents would link Mr. Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein during an appearance on Mr. McAfee’s show.
Mr. Rogers was one early supporter of Mr. Kennedy’s presidential candidacy. Last month, Mr. Kennedy shared one image on social media hiking together.
Mr Ventura, 72, was famous in the 1970s and 1980s as a professional wrestler known as Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura and also appeared in films and television before entering politics. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998 on the Reform Party ticket and served one term.
Since then he has become a prominent figure in independent and third-party politics. He has written several books and now has a Substack, “Die First then Quit”, with his son.
In a YouTube interview four months ago, Mr. Ventura said he would consider an offer from Mr. Kennedy to serve on his ticket.
Reid J. Epstein and Maggie Haberman contributed to the report. Kitty Bennett and Susan C. Beachy contributed to the research.
