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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded to a CNN story Thursday that accused him of referring to the 2012 school massacre in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, as a rumor.
Rodgers, who was named this week as a possible running mate for Robert Kennedy Jr. in his independent White House bid, did not mention CNN, the two veteran network anchors who targeted her or the possibility of her entering politics. Was not mentioned.
He said he still prays for the families of the Sandy Hook students who lost their lives in the deadly December 2012 shooting.
“As I've been on record before, what happened at Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy,” Rodgers wrote in a post on X. ,
The former NFL MVP concluded, “Again, I hope 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 remain with the entire Sandy Hook community as well as the families affected.”
He concluded the post with a heart emoji.
As I have said on the record in the past, what happened at Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I do not and have never had the opinion that the events did not occur. Again, I hope we will learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us…
– Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) 14 March 2024
The comments followed CNN's hit article against Rodgers by veteran network anchors Pamela Brown and Jake Tapper, which claimed he had “shared deranged conspiracy theories” with others.
According to the report, one of those people was Brown herself.
“Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013 when she was introduced to Rodgers, then with the Green Bay Packers, at a post-derby party,” the outlet reported Thursday. “Upon hearing that she was a CNN reporter, Rodgers immediately began attacking the news media for covering important stories.
“Rodgers brought up the tragic killing of 20 children and 6 adults by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School, claiming it was actually an inside job by the government and that the media was deliberately ignoring it.”
The article then linked the NFL star to Alex Jones, a radio host who was successfully sued by the families of Sandy Hook victims for more than $1 billion in 2022.
“When Brown questioned him on the evidence showing that this very real shooting was staged, Rodgers began sharing various theories that have been disproved multiple times. Such conspiracy theories were also at the center of lawsuits later brought by the victims' families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, CNN reports.
Brown remembers Rodgers asking him if he thought there were some people in black in the woods near the school, falsely claiming that the people were actually government employees. Brown found the encounter disturbing,” it says.
The network anchors reported that they found a second source, whom they offered to remain completely anonymous to protect the person from “harassment.”
The man alleged that Rodgers had said several years ago, “Sandy Hook never happened…all those kids never existed,” CNN reported. They were all actors.
The report said the source asked them why parents were mourning if there was no school shooting.
The man claimed Rodgers replied, “They're all making it up. They're all actors.”
CNN reported, “Rodgers delved into some of the deepest caves of false conspiracy theories.” “This individual found this encounter disturbing.”
Fox News host Harris Faulkner commented on Rodgers' post to share the NFL star's comments following the Sandy Hook tragedy.
“I hope we can learn from this and pay more attention to the signs and something like this will never happen again. And keep that in the back of our minds,” he quoted the quarterback as saying.
“I hope we can learn from this and pay more attention to the signs and something like this will never happen again. And keep it in our mind”-@AaronRodgers12 In an interview with ESPN Radio Milwaukee in 2012… shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting. https://t.co/p1x0PtTmHF…
– HarrisFAULKNER (@HARRISFAULKNER) 14 March 2024
Faulconer included a broken link to a page on Wisconsin's WITI-TV's website, but the site still has video of the report on Rodgers' comments at the time. They also appear on YouTube.
Brown didn’t clarify why she continued her “disturbing” conversations with Rodgers for greater than 11 years.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy marketing campaign issued a response to CNN's report.
“Mr. Kennedy believes the Sandy Hook shootings had been a horrible tragedy. The 20 youngsters and 6 adults killed on December 14, 2012 introduced all the nation collectively in grief. Allow us to honor their reminiscence,” Stephanie Spears instructed the community.
This week, Kennedy confirmed that Rodgers is on his shortlist for a working mate, together with former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, in response to The New York Occasions.
This text initially appeared on The Western Journal.