Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. hosts a fireside chat with rapper and producer Eric B. at The Gentleman's Factory on February 18, 2024 in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)
It was rumored prior to the announcement that Kennedy was also considering New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura — who was elected as a third-party candidate — and "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe.
Choosing a vice president candidate could add a boost in support for Kennedy, though many within the Democratic establishment anticipated his campaign to wane early on.
Kennedy initially launched his presidential bid as a Democrat last April, but he later announced an independent run in October after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said it would not hold primary debates and was standing behind incumbent President Biden.
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Democrats are worried Kennedy's candidacy hurts Biden's chances at being re-elected, leading the DNC to launch a team earlier this month solely dedicated to combating his presidential bid, as well as those of independent presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West, and Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein.
From left to right: Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Jill Stein, President Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Fox News)
The naming of a running mate will likely boost Kennedy in his goal to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, as he needs a running mate to qualify in numerous states.
With a little over seven months to go until the presidential election, Utah is the only state where Kennedy's name is confirmed. His campaign says he has secured enough signatures to land on the ballot in New Hampshire and Hawaii.
But on the eve of the running mate announcement, Kennedy ran into a major snag in Nevada, after state election officials said that the signatures his campaign gathered may be invalid due to a lack of a running mate. The campaign fired back, claiming that Democrats were trying to keep him off the ballot in the key western battleground state.
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The latest RealClearPolitics average of polls has Kennedy reaching 15% in a three-way race against Biden and former President Donald Trump. The average shows Trump ahead of Biden by 4 points.
A five-way race including West and Stein has Kennedy's support at 11%, with Trump having a 2-point advantage over Biden.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace, Timothy H. J. Nerozzi, Joseph A. Wulfsohn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
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