New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded on Thursday to a CNN story that accused him of referring to the 2012 school massacre in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, as a hoax.
Rodgers, who was floated this week as a potential running mate for Robert Kennedy Jr. in his independent White House bid, did not mention CNN, the two veteran network anchors who targeted him or the possibility of his entering politics.
He did say he still prays for the families of Sandy Hook students who lost their lives in the horrific December 2012 shooting.
“As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy,” Rodgers wrote in a post on X. “I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place.”
The former NFL MVP concluded, “Again, I hope that 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 continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community.”
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He concluded the post with a heart emoji.
As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place. Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to…
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 14, 2024
The comments followed a CNN hit piece against Rodgers by veteran network anchors Pamela Brown and Jake Tapper that claimed he had “shared deranged conspiracy theories” with other people.
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One of those people, according to the report, 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. “Hearing that she was a journalist with CNN, Rodgers immediately began attacking the news media for covering up 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 a government inside job and the media was intentionally ignoring it.”
The article then connected the NFL star to Alex Jones, a radio host whom families of Sandy Hook victims successfully sued for more than $1 billion in 2022.
“When Brown questioned him on the evidence to show this very real shooting was staged, Rodgers began sharing various theories that have been disproven numerous times. Such conspiracy theories were also later at the center of lawsuits brought by victims’ families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on the matter,” the CNN report said.
“Brown recalls Rodgers asking her if she thought it was off that there were men in black in the woods by the school, falsely claiming those men were actually government operatives. Brown found the encounter disturbing,” it said.
The network anchors reported they found a second source to whom they offered complete anonymity in order to protect the person from “harassment.”
According to the CNN report, that person alleged that Rodgers had said several years ago, “Sandy Hook never happened…All those children never existed. They were all actors.”
The report said the source asked him why parents were grieving if the school shooting never occurred.
That person claimed Rodgers replied, “They’re all making it up. They’re all actors.”
“Rodgers went on to delve into some of the darker caverns of the false conspiracy theory,” CNN reported. “This person found the encounter disturbing.”
Fox News host Harris Faulkner commented on Rodgers’ post to share remarks from the NFL star in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy.
She quoted the quarterback as having said, “I hope that we can learn from this and look for the signs more and not ever have something like this happen. And keep this on our minds.”
“I hope that we can learn from this and look for the signs more and not ever have something like this happen. And keep this on our minds”—@AaronRodgers12 in an interview with ESPN Radio Milwaukee in 2012… shortly after Sandy Hook shooting. https://t.co/p1x0PtTmHF…
— HARRISFAULKNER (@HARRISFAULKNER) March 14, 2024
Faulkner included a broken link to a page from the website of Wisconsin’s WITI-TV, but the site still has video of its report on Rodgers’ comments at the time. They also appear on YouTube.
Brown did not explain why she held on to her “disturbing” interaction with Rodgers for more than 11 years.
A spokeswoman for the Kennedy campaign issued a response to CNN’s report.
“Mr. Kennedy believes the Sandy Hook shooting was a horrific tragedy. The 20 children and 6 adults that died December 14, 2012 brought the entire country together in grief. Let us honor their memory,” Stefanie Spear told the network.
This week, Kennedy confirmed Rodgers is on his shortlist for a running mate, alongside former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, according to The New York Times.
