RFK Jr. considering Aaron Rodgers, Jesse Ventura as possible running mates

independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering a short list of candidates for his running mate that includes New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, NBC News confirmed Tuesday.

Kennedy said in an interview last month that he would most likely name his vice president within the next 30 days. The self-imposed deadline passed in early March without any announcement, and he said Wednesday in a post on X who would announce his choice of vice president on March 26.

“He is considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a short list,” a Kennedy campaign spokesman said Tuesday. “No further details are available.”

The New York Times first reported that Rodgers and Ventura, a former professional wrestler, were on Kennedy’s short list.

Rodgers and the Jets did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ventura could not be reached for comment.

Ventura, 72, was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998, becoming the first Reform Party candidate to win statewide office. He served one term and did not seek re-election.

Rodgers, 40 years old, a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has won a Super Bowl title and four MVP awards, is expected to return To field this year after an injury in the first game of the 2023 season kept him on the sidelines.

Rodgers endorsed Kennedy, 70, last year after the two bonded over their opposition to Covid vaccines. On Tuesday afternoon, Rodgers reposted Kennedy’s response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Day X, saying, “This is presidential.”

The Democratic National Committee criticized Kennedy’s short list.

“No one asked for the Three Stooges reunion. It is not surprising that this is the short list considering the conspiracy theorist is the one who chooses,” Democratic National Committee senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement.

Kenorthnedy isdead his presidential campaign as a Democrat last year and launched an independent bid after struggling to gain support from the Democratic base.

According to a Quinnipiac University Survey Released last month examining a hypothetical race that included Biden, former President Donald Trump and Kennedy as an independent candidate, 38% of voters said they would support Biden, followed by 37% for Trump and 15% for Kennedy.

The survey, which included 1,421 self-identified registered voters nationwide, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.