On Tuesday, Mr. Kennedy affirmed that the two men namely, Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura were highest on his list of running mate. Between the two, stakes for Rodgers are higher given his continued conversation with Kennedy.
The individuals with knowledge of the talks stated that Mr. Kennedy is still thinking about a shortlist of possible candidates, even though it is unclear if either has received an official offer for the position.
Mr. Kennedy stated that he had been in contact with Mr. Ventura ever since the former governor introduced him at a campaign event in Arizona last month and that he had been chatting with Mr. Rodgers “pretty continuously” over the past month.
The potential impact of Mr. Kennedy’s independent stance
A request for a response from Mr. Rodgers’s agent was not immediately answered. Tyrel Ventura, the governor’s son, stated in an email late on Tuesday that “the governor does not comment on speculation” since “no one has officially asked Gov. Ventura to be a vice-presidential candidate.”
The participation of Mr. Ventura or Mr. Rodgers, who is anticipated to start for the New York Jets this autumn during the busiest part of the campaign trail, may provide Mr. Kennedy’s independent fervor and star power.
According to polls, Mr. Kennedy is displacing President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump with almost similar amounts of votes; nevertheless, Democrats are significantly more concerned than Republicans that he would sway a tight election in Mr. Trump’s favor. All around the nation, Mr. Biden’s backers have been trying to keep Mr. Kennedy off the ballot.
The 70-year-old environmental lawyer, who comes from a distinguished Democratic family, has gained notoriety recently for his disbelief in vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracies involving the federal government and public health system. Because of his opinions on vaccinations, public health, and the coronavirus epidemic, Mr. Rodgers has also come to embrace the position of celebrity provocateur and contrarian.
Mr. Kennedy’s VP pursuit
In the upcoming weeks, Mr. Kennedy is anticipated to announce his running mate, meeting deadlines in states where he must select a vice presidential candidate to petition for ballot access. He said in October that he would run as an independent instead of continuing his Democratic primary campaign, accusing Democrats of opportunistically impeding his attempt to unseat Mr. Biden.
With differing degrees of formality, Mr. Kennedy and his entourage have contacted at least six individuals in recent months to see if they might be interested in being his running mate. According to the two persons familiar with the discussions, in addition to Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura, he is reported to have had conversations with former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Andrew Yang, the former mayor of New York and presidential contender. The approach to Mr. Yang was originally reported by Puck News.
Upon being asked for comments, Mr. Yang did not reply. The office of Mr. Paul did not reply to a message seeking comment. It was not possible to reach Ms. Gabbard for comment. Except for Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura, all have declined him or their conversations have not progressed, according to the people with knowledge of the exchanges.
Should this serve as any indication of Mr. Kennedy’s potential political leanings, the domain name kennedyrodgers.com was registered last week using a GoDaddy server. Four times, Mr. Rodgers, forty, has been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. In 2011, he helped the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl. After suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon in the first few minutes of the team’s season opener, he is anticipated to start for the New York Jets this year.
A request for comment from a New York Jets representative was not immediately answered. Woody Johnson, a well-known fundraiser to former President Donald J. Trump, is the team’s owner. Mr. Johnson was named ambassador to Britain by Mr. Trump. In recent years, Mr. Rodgers has become more vocal on social and political problems. During a guest appearance on Joe Rogan’s well-liked podcast last month, Mr. Rodgers disclosed that his public choice to forgo vaccinations had cost him friends, allies, and sponsorships.
