Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed Wednesday that his vice presidential pick has been chosen and that the person has accepted the job.
ABC News writes that Kennedy had made a decision – and informed the person of his intentions – after The New York Times said Tuesday that the 2024 hopeful had approached both NFL star Aaron Rodgers and ex-wrestler and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.
Ventura’s son told ABC on Wednesday that ‘there has been no formal offer from the Robert Kennedy camp.’ “The governor does not comment on political speculation,” Ventura’s son added.
That leaves the door open for a potential Kennedy-Rodgers ticket, though Rodgers has not commented on the news and appears to be in Costa Rica on an Ayahuasca retreat, according to an online news site that tracks NFL news.
Kennedy’s campaign said the announcement will be made on Tuesday, March 26, in Oakland, California.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) said he has chosen his vice presidential pick and that person agreed, leaving the door open for it to be New York Jets player Aaron Rodgers (left), who, like Kennedy, is a vaccine skeptic
Rodgers, 40, was born in Chico, California and spent parts of his youth in Ukiah, California, Beaverton, Oregon and back in Chico.
He continues to play in the NFL and is expected to start for the New York Jets come fall. He previously played for the Green Bay Packers.
Like Kennedy, Rodgers is a prominent vaccine skeptic.
Rodgers had been engaged to actress Shailene Woodley, a prominent supporter of progressive Senator Bernie Sanders when he ran for president in 2016 and again in 2020.
They broke off their engagement in 2022.
Unlike former President Donald Trump, who can take his time announcing a vice presidential pick, for Kennedy to appear on the ballot in some states as an independent, he will have to name a running mate in the next few weeks.
The choice of Rodgers would be unconventional — like Kennedy’s run to begin with — and could add some star power to the clan’s independent campaign.
Rodgers (left) poses for a photo with Kennedy (right) last March, shortly before Kennedy announced he would run for president as a Democrat. In October, he changed tack and announced that he would run as an independent in the 2024 general election
Rodgers is expected to play for the New York Jets this fall, which would disrupt the campaign season. The parliamentary election will be held on Tuesday 5 November
However, choosing the NFL star could show voters that Kennedy is not serious about winning.
Democrats have already blasted Kennedy for his presidential bid — including members of the candidate’s famous family.
Kennedy started his campaign last year as a Democrat, then announced in October that he would run as an independent instead — meaning he would not have to compete against President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary to appear on the ballot.
Instead, his campaign would have to try to get his name on the ballot in every state, a feat that has kept most presidential hopefuls from running as third-party candidates.
So far, the campaign has only been successful in adding Kennedy’s name to the ballot in Utah, but claims volunteers have collected enough signatures for him to appear on the ballots in Hawaii, Nevada and New Hampshire as well, ABC reported.
While Hawaii is a solid Democratic state, Nevada and New Hampshire are considered battleground states.
A super PAC supporting Kennedy has helped him gain access to ballots in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan — all key swing states — but the Democratic National Committee has challenged those moves with the Federal Election Commission, blasting the PAC for an ‘unlawful access scheme for ballot papers’. ‘
Kennedy has also flirted with the Libertarian Party, which has a permanent spot on the ballot.
The Libertarians will choose their 2024 presidential ticket at a convention later this spring.
Democrats fear Kennedy will play spoiler for Biden, giving Trump his second term.
Polls show Kennedy picking voters from both parties’ candidates — though that would likely hurt Biden more than Trump, in part because Biden trails the former president in a number of surveys.