Aaron Rodgers reportedly in talks as a running mate for controversial presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Controversial independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is eyeing Aaron Rodgers as a possible VP.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers could find himself entering the world of politics in earnest as soon as this year.
New York Times reporter Rebecca Davis O’Brien shared on Tuesday that conspiracy theorist and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering Rodgers and former professional wrestler and governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura as possible running mates in his independent bid for the U.S. presidency.
The report notes Rodgers and Ventura are “at the top of [Kennedy’s] list” as possible vice president candidates. Neither Rodgers nor Ventura responded to comment on the possibility of joining Kennedy on his ticket.
“If anything could be interpreted as a hint of where Mr. Kennedy might lean, the domain name kennedyrodgers.com was registered last week using a GoDaddy host,” O’Brien reported, hinting at the legitimacy of Rodgers possibly joining Kennedy on the independent ticket.
The son of late former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has earned a reputation for being a prominent voice in the widely discredited anti-vaccine movement. His false claims over the COVID-19 vaccine got him booted from Instagram in 2021. Kennedy has earned also criticism for antisemitism and racism in his campaigning.
The Kennedy family recently disavowed a super PAC-funded Super Bowl commercial that promoted RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign — though the candidate said he was not involved in its creation.
Like Kennedy, Rodgers became an outspoken critic against the COVID-19 vaccine during its rollout and made false claims about its risks. He also earned criticism for misleading the public on his vaccine status during the 2021 season.
The Jets quarterback’s appearances on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show came under fire during the 2023 season, especially when Rodgers was alleged of making baseless claims about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel being tied to sex trafficking. Rodgers later denied that being the intent of his words.
Rodgers’ regular bookings on the show ended before the season was over.
The Jets did not respond to inquiry into The New York Times story, as Rodgers’ status with the team for 2024 would be in question if he accepted an invitation to be Kennedy’s running mate. Rodgers did not play for the bulk of the 2023 Jets season after tearing his Achilles in the season opener.