Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a decision on his 2024 vice president, a crucial step toward making him an independent choice for voters on Election Day in November.
The environmental lawyer’s upcoming announcement, scheduled for Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., will bring him closer to meeting voting qualifications in many states.
The six people President Kennedy is considering as vice presidential candidates are:
nicole shanahan
Mr. Kennedy has touted his uniqueness since breaking away from the Democratic Party platform and running as an independent. His vice presidential list is full of high-profile names, but the current front-runner, Nicole Shanahan, has received little attention.
Mr. Shanahan, 38, who spent his childhood in Oakland, is not a household name, but shares similarities with the Rebel candidate, including a career as a lawyer and on-the-ground support for his candidacy.
She has already poured significant resources into Kennedy. She was a major funder of his biggest ad, which ran during this year’s Super Bowl and featured an old image of former President Kennedy. Shanahan donated millions of dollars to super PACs that paid for advertising.
Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, is deeply involved in California’s technology industry and would bring strong financial resources to his expensive independent efforts to seek access to the ballot.
“I would never choose a running mate based on how much money they have,” Kennedy said in an appearance on NewsNation, which is owned by The Hill’s parent company Nexstar. “He is one of our major campaign priorities.”
Still, Mr. Shanahan’s deep pockets will be an undeniable asset for Mr. Kennedy, who must compete with the party machine to win the White House.
mediaite It was first reported For Shanahan, note the registered domain name kennedyshanahan.com.
jesse ventura
If there’s one Kennedy finalist who knows how to surprise national voters, it’s Jesse Ventura.
Best known for his career as a WWE wrestler, Ventura entered the political fray in the 1990s, rebelling against the establishment in Minnesota. His successful third-party gubernatorial campaign lends some context and credibility to the arguments Kennedy is making in his campaign.
Mr. Ventura, 72, officially retired from politics after serving one term as a candidate for the Reform Party. But his time as governor inspired populist fans who saw him as a trailblazer. In the decades since Ventura left office, the former governor has maintained support from both the progressive left and those aligned with former President Trump on the right.
of The New York Times first reported Last week, it was revealed that Ventura was one of the candidates being seriously considered.
Tulsi Gabbard
Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard became a central figure in the vice president’s conversation during Kennedy’s swift search. The two hit it off and abandoned the Democratic Party, even though they both criticized the party’s leadership.
Gabbard has been a vocal defender of Kennedy throughout the campaign, accusing her former party of spreading “baseless lies” about Kennedy. he told Fox News last June.. Gabbard, 42, has been outspoken about her censorship since leaving her elected office and has argued that Democrats are wrong on a number of issues, including disparaging Kennedy.
While the two outsiders work closely together in some ways, a source close to Kennedy and Gabbard told The Hill that she is “definitely moving in the MAGA direction.” She is also slightly more to the right than he is.
Gabbard attended this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, an event increasingly aligned with Trump.
aaron rodgers
The NFL quarterback was considered a front-runner for the vice presidential nomination as the search for Kennedy continued in earnest this month.
He was praised for sharing similar anti-vaccine theories regarding COVID-19. Kennedy praised Rodgers, a former Green Bay Packers MVP who now plays for the New York Jets, as someone who can question convention and authority and advance a broader health agenda.
“He is very sensitive to health issues.” Mr Kennedy said: Rogers, 40 years old. “One of the key parts of my agenda is to make the country healthy again.”
However, Mr. Rogers appears to have been demoted after it became public that he had privately talked about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as if it were a fabricated conspiracy theory. CNN reported. Mr. Rogers denied the charges.
rand paul
When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that he would not run for leadership this fall, President Kennedy quickly threw his support behind Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), He said he believes a replacement is necessary. Capitol Hill.
Mr. Paul, 61, a liberal-minded Republican who comes from a libertarian family and is skeptical of vaccines, is an outspoken opponent of the United States having a large footprint in foreign wars. Mr. Kennedy shares much of his anti-interventionist approach and pointed to Mr. Paul’s defiance of high defense spending as an asset.
President Kennedy endorsed Paul, saying, “It’s time to promote a leader in Washington, D.C., who won’t kowtow to military contractors or push us further into foreign conflicts.”
However, the Kentucky senator said during the investigation that he would not accept the position if offered. Politico reported.
andrew yang
Andrew Yang has stayed relevant by staying politically engaged after running for the White House in 2020 against President Biden and a host of other Democrats.
He has waged a tumultuous campaign in the New York mayoral race, most recently supporting Congressman Dean Phillips (D-Minnesota), who is opposed to Biden’s re-election.
Kennedy’s allies know and like Yang, who shares an outsider’s view of Washington. However, Mr. Yang is reportedly hesitant about whether to accept his job. According to Pac NewsDespite being asked to do so by Kennedy.
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