Scoop: Donors Threaten to Abandon RFK Jr. If He Picks Aaron Rodgers as Running Mate
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Major donors to the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are balking at the possibility he’ll tap outspoken NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers to serve as his running mate, sources told Mediaite.
Kennedy told The New York Times this week that Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura are top contenders to run alongside him on the independent ticket for president, along with a shortlist of other possibilities.
Those options have already created headaches for Kennedy’s long-shot bid for the presidency. Several donors have expressed concern about Kennedy picking either the NFL quarterback — a celebrity football player with controversial opinions and no political experience — or the former Minnesota governor, sources close to the campaign told Mediaite.
In fact, a number of donors have voiced their discontent directly with the campaign, pledging to withdraw their support from Kennedy if he chooses Rodgers in particular.
One source explained that donors “think it’s telling that no credible person wants to be VP,” and that the donors see his selection as “an acknowledgement of the credibility of his campaign or lack thereof.”
The source added that Rodgers “has no political experience” and Ventura “has not been in politics for nearly thirty years. Both of them are unqualified for the second highest position in the United States — Vice President. Choosing either of them would mean that Bobby is not a serious candidate.”
On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that Kennedy had chosen his running mate. His campaign said Wednesday that Kennedy would make his announcement on March 26 in Oakland, California.
There have been rumors among campaign insiders that the location of the announcement points towards Rodgers as the likely pick. Kennedy’s announcement will be in Oakland, about a two-hour drive from Rodgers’ hometown of Chico.
What’s more, the Times pointed out that kennedyrodgers.com was registered on GoDaddy.com on March 5, days before news of the potential selection leaked publicly. Mediaite found that soon after the Times article was published, kennedyventura.com was also registered.
Ventura said during an interview in November that if Kennedy offered him the VP job he would “give it serious consideration … and it would depend on his personal life.”
It appears unlikely that Ventura is Kennedy’s pick. Tyrel Ventura, the former governor’s son, told Mediaite he hasn’t been asked to run: “The Governor has not been asked in any official capacity to be RFK Jr’s running mate so at this time the Gov. Ventura will not be commenting on political speculations.”
Neither Rodgers nor Ventura responded to Mediaite’s request for comment at the time of publication.
One source close to the campaign who remains supportive of Kennedy, regardless of whom he picks as his running mate, said the candidate is simply weighing all his options — despite the handwringing from donors.
“It’s hard for people to understand just how much Bobby weighs and considers this, and all, decisions. It’s never easy or simplistic,” they said. “These are nuanced and complex issues, and remember that he is a lawyer so he is particularly equipped to untangle and address them and come to the best conclusion for all. He is required to play chess in 5D with heavy artillery aimed at him from all sides and still he maintains his integrity and moral imperative. This is why he is the right choice for commander in chief and it’s also why he will make the right choice for a running mate.”
A spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment.
