Robert F. Kennedy Jr. considering Jets' Aaron Rodgers, Jesse Ventura for running mate: ABC News
The independent candidate is expected to select his No. 2 in the coming weeks
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura top the list of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s potential running mates, though the independent candidate says he hasn't yet made a formal offer to either.
Via text message, Kennedy confirmed his intentions, which were first reported by The New York Times.
Kennedy is expected to select his running mate in the coming weeks, his campaign manager has told ABC News, due mostly to the requirement that he have one to apply for ballot access as an independent in certain states.
Kennedy has publicly displayed his relationships with both Rodgers and Ventura: He recently posted a photo on social media of him and Rodgers hiking while Ventura appeared at his Arizona rally last month.
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Both men also share Kennedy's affinity for embracing some debunked claims: Rodgers, like Kennedy, has spoken misleadingly about the harmful effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, while Ventura has peddled conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks.
ABC has reached out to a Rodgers representative for comment and has been unable to reach Ventura.
Kennedy is not assured the ability of being on the ballot anywhere because he's running outside the auspices of an established party. So volunteers have fanned out across the country and performed the painstaking work of gathering tens of thousands of signatures from everyday citizens.
So far, Kennedy is only on one state's ballot, Utah, but the campaign claims it has hit the signature threshold in Hawaii, Nevada and New Hampshire.
A pro-Kennedy super PAC, meanwhile, says it has gathered enough signatures to place him on the ballot in the key swing states of Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, though the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission claiming the efforts amount to coordination with the campaign, which is illegal.
The political action committee denies the accusation.
