Former “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe has broken his silence after it was announced that he is on the shortlist to be independent presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Rowe responds to Kennedy’s list of nominees
The list of candidates for Kennedy includes Rowe along with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D). Kennedy told ABC News on Tuesday that although he has chosen his running mate, he is not ready to name the person at this time. He added that he will reveal the identity of his running mate within the next two weeks.
When contacted for comment, Rowe expressed his feelings about the creation of Kennedy’s shortlist.
“Given that RFK has already made his choice and set the date to make an announcement, it is probably not appropriate for me to discuss the details of our conversations,” Rowe said. “I can tell you that we met several weeks ago and had several really productive conversations about the future of our country.”
“We talked mostly about the MikeroweWORKS Foundation and our mutual interest in reinvigorating the skilled trades,” he continued. “He was very complimentary of my efforts in this regard, and I was impressed by his commitment to helping close the skills gap in America. Vice President or not, I would be happy to work with him on that agenda.
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Rowe discusses meeting with Kennedy
Last week, Rowe told News Nation host Chris Cuomo that the nation should “keep an eye on RFK Jr.”
“If this country were a restaurant and millions of people looked at the menu, they would say, ‘Really? Is that all?’” Rowe said. “With great respect to the candidates, half the country is allergic to the menu. Keep an eye on RFK. … He’s saying some things that no one else is saying.”
Rowe later spoke to CNN about the meeting with Kennedy.
“It’s serious,” Rowe said. “When he talks about things that he considers serious, he leans in and it’s hard not to listen. He is serious about the debt, he does not want to see the 34 trillion dollars reach 50. He believes that if that were the case, the country could not serve him and the party would be over. He is serious about ending wars forever. He is serious about declaring war on chronic diseases.”
“We don’t agree on everything, that’s for sure, and when that became apparent, he laughed and said ‘look, I don’t want to surround myself with yes-men and yes-women. I want people who care about the country, I want people who tell me the truth as they see it and drop the responsibilities,’” she continued.
Related: Mike Rowe donates $1 million to teach young adults about work ethic scholarship program
Kennedy gushes about Rodgers
While Kennedy didn’t name his pick, he confirmed that Rodgers and Ventura are at the top of the list. Rodgers has yet to respond publicly, while Ventura’s son told the New York Times that “no one has officially asked Governor Ventura to be a vice presidential candidate, so the governor doesn’t comment on speculation.”
Kennedy gushed about Rodgers in an interview earlier this week, indicating I could be his pick.
“And we want someone young to take care of that generation. Aaron Rodgers is tested in battle. He got up. He’s been hammered in the press, he’s stood up for the things we believe in,” Kennedy said Wednesday night, according to The Hill. “I like that part of his character. He’s a critical thinker and I think we need that right now, as you know [artificial intelligence].”
“I think Aaron proved it.”
“My father said that one of the duties of life as a democratic citizen is to maintain a constant attitude of skepticism towards authority,” he recalled. “And I think Aaron proved that.”
“He is also someone who I think will help me get the country back to health,” Kennedy concluded. “You know, she’s 40 years old. He is focused on his health. He is very attentive to health problems. And you know, that’s one of the things I’m going to do: one of the key parts of my agenda is to get the country back to health.
Rowe and the rest of the people on Kennedy’s supposed shortlist have one thing in common, and that is that they have shown the world that they are not afraid to think for themselves when it comes to politics. It will certainly be interesting to see who Kennedy chooses to run alongside him!
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