RFK Jr. will unveil Running Mate on March 26, his campaign says

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will announce the vice presidential pick for his independent presidential bid on March 26 at an event in Oakland, California, his campaign said Wednesday, a move that comes amid swirling speculation about his potential running mate.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota governor and former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura were at the top of his short list, and that both had welcomed Mr. Kennedy’s overtures.

Mr. Kennedy confirmed the names to The Times on Tuesday, saying in an interview: “I would say we have already made a decision,” but he declined to provide details. On Wednesday, he said in a text message that he had asked a candidate who had accepted the offer, but again did not respond.

Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura were among at least a half-dozen potential candidates with whom Mr. Kennedy and his camp discussed how to get a ticket.

Mr. Ventura’s son, Tyrel Ventura, told The Times late Tuesday that the former governor had not been formally asked. On Wednesday, the younger Mr. Ventura said there had been no outreach “as far as I know.”

A representative for Mr. Rodgers did not respond to several requests for comment. On Wednesday afternoon, Pat McAfee — a former professional football player who now hosts an ESPN podcast on which Mr. Rodgers is a frequent guest — said that Mr. Rodgers had heard the report from his vice presidential consideration while in Costa Rica, at an ayahuasca retreat .

The use of ayahuasca, a natural hallucinogen, has become part of a growing trend of psychedelic retreats. Mr Rodgers has praised the drug in the past for its ‘healing’ properties.

Mr. Rodgers appeared in one Instagram video posted Tuesday by Jordan Poyer, a veteran NFL safety who signed with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday. The post, which includes images from an eco-resort in Costa Rica, was promoted by Behold Retreats, which bills itself as a service for guided experiences in psychedelic plant-based medicine.