RFK Jr. has Aaron Rodgers, Jesse Ventura 'at top of his list' for VP
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Tuesday that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and ex-pro wrestler and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura are among his preferred running mates.
Kennedy, 70, told the New York Times that Rodgers and Ventura were “at the top of his list” to join the 2024 ticket, while two sources told the paper the men had “welcomed” the candidate’s approaches.
“Yes, Mr. Kennedy did share with the New York Times that he’s considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a short list,” a campaign rep confirmed The Post Tuesday evening without elaborating.
The Times report added that Kennedy has gauged running mate interest from former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and 2020 presidential candidate and 2021 New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang — all of whom have apparently turned him down.
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Rodgers, 40, was traded to the Jets before the 2023 season after spending 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. However, he ruptured his left Achilles tendon just four plays into his New York tenure and missed the rest of the season.
The NFL star was an early endorser of Kennedy, pushing the hashtag “kennedy2024” on social media as far back as April of last year.
Just last month, Kennedy posted an image of the two hiking in an undisclosed location as Rodgers continues his recovery.
Both Kennedy and Rodgers are well-known vaccine skeptics, with Rodgers becoming more outspoken on the issue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rodgers has one year left on his two-year, $75 million, fully guaranteed contract, which he signed after the trade to the Jets. It is unclear how a potential vice presidential candidacy would affect his football commitments.
Reps for Rodgers did not respond while the Jets declined to comment.
Ventura, 72, stunned the political world in 1998 when he won Minnesota’s gubernatorial election as a member of the Reform Party, though he later switched his allegiance to the Independence Party of Minnesota and opted not to run for re-election four years later, citing his wife’s health.
Kennedy told the Times Tuesday that he had kept in touch with Ventura since the former wrestler, known for his nickname “The Body,” introduced him at a campaign event in Arizona last month.
While Kennedy is considered a long shot to win the White House, political observers say he could win votes at a clip not seen by a third-party candidate since Ross Perot in 1992.
An average of polls by RealClearPolitics shows Kennedy getting 15% in a three-way race, with Trump getting 39.8% of the vote and President Biden getting 35.5%.
The independent’s campaign claims to have made the 2024 ballot in four states: Hawaii, Nevada, New Hampshire and Utah — with similar efforts underway in battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina.
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