Independent presidential candidate Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. is considering embattled NFL star Aaron Rodgers to be his Vice President pick, raising many social media users' eyebrows.
RFK Jr.–who is the son of the late U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of Democratic President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy–became the fifth member of the Kennedy family to seek the U.S. Presidency when he announced he was running against Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination last April. He gave that up and switched to running as an Independent on October 9, 2023.
The longshot candidate is notorious for touting conspiracy theories on public health, including his baseless claim that COVID-19 was a genetically engineered weapon created to attack Caucasians and Black people and spare the lives of Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
During a Fox News interview, the known anti-vaxxer confirmed he made his decision on who will be his running mate and that Aaron Rodgers was on the shortlist, even though the New York Jets quarterback, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, had zero political experience.
Aside from the fact that they both believe in and share conspiracy theories and have criticized COVID-19 vaccines, RFK Jr. explained other qualities about Rodgers that may have influenced his consideration.
One of the reasons included his argument that America needed a "critical thinker" like Rodgers at a time when the country was experiencing the "rise of AI" and that authority can't be trusted "just because someone's in charge."
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RFK Jr. explained:
“I really like Aaron because, you know, our appeal is to young people, we’re trying to make sure the young people are participating in the political process, that they have hoped for America."
“We want somebody young who’s going to look out for that generation. Aaron Rodgers is battle-tested.”
You can watch a clip here.
He continued:
"He's been hammered by the press. He stood up for things we believe in. I like that part of his character."
"He’s a critical thinker, and I think we need that at the time as you know the rise of AI [artificial intelligence]. We need people who understand that you cannot always trust authority just because somebody’s in charge."
"It doesn’t mean that they’re telling you the truth, and we want somebody who’s going to critically examine."
“My father used to say one of the duties of living as a citizen of democracy is to maintain a constant posture of skepticism toward authority."
"And I think Aaron’s shown that."
RFK Jr. said he believes Rodgers is someone who can help him "get the country healthy again," claiming that the 40-year-old star quarterback is "very aware of health issues," which could be instrumental in solidifying his health agenda.
People had genuine concerns about Rodgers' qualifications.
Some made a mockery of the news story.
News of RFK Jr.'s prospective running mate came hours after Rodgers responded to a CNN report of him sharing "deranged conspiracy theories" about the December 2012 Sandy Hook Hook Elementary School mass shooting.
In private conversations that took place in 2013 according to the news article, Rodgers allegedly said the tragedy that left 20 children and six adults dead "was actually a government inside job and the media was intentionally ignoring it."
Rodgers didn't deny making those comments but did respond with a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, writing:
"As I'm on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy."
"I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place. Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life."
"My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community."
Also on the shortlist to be RFK Jr.'s running mate is Jesse Ventura, the retired pro-wrestler, a.k.a. “The Body”, who also served as the Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003.
RFK Jr. is planning on making his official VP announcement on March 26 in Oakland, California, which is located within three hours of Chico, California, where Rodgers was born.
