[ad_1]
cnn
—
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has confirmed that among his possible vice presidential candidates is New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who in private conversations shared wild conspiracy theories that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting wasn’t real.
CNN knows of two people with whom Rodgers has enthusiastically shared these stories, including Pamela Brown, one of the journalists writing this article.
Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013 when he was introduced to Rodgers, then with the Green Bay Packers, at a post-Derby party. Upon learning that he was a CNN journalist, Rodgers immediately began attacking the media for covering up important stories. Rodgers mentioned the tragic murder of 20 children and 6 adults by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School, claiming that it was actually a government inside job and that the media was intentionally ignoring it.
When asked by Brown about the evidence proving that this very real shooting was staged, Rodgers began sharing several theories that have been debunked numerous times. These conspiracy theories were also later at the center of lawsuits filed by the victims’ families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over the matter.
jones repeating baseless lies that the 2012 mass shooting was staged and that families and first responders were “crisis actors,” sparked multiple lawsuits, and a trial was held in 2022 over the lawsuits filed in Connecticut.
Throughout the trial, relatives described in moving terms how the lies had led to relentless harassment of them and compounded the emotional agony of losing their loved ones.
Brown remembers Rodgers asking him if he thought it was wrong that there were men dressed in black in the woods next to the school, falsely claiming that the men were actually government agents. Brown found the encounter disturbing.
CNN has spoken to another person with a similar story. This person, who CNN has granted anonymity to avoid harassment, recalled that several years ago, Rodgers stated: “Sandy Hook never happened… All those kids never existed. “They were all actors.”
When asked about the grieving parents, the source recalled Rodgers saying, “Everyone is making it up. “They are all actors.”
Rodgers went on to delve into some of the darkest caverns of the false conspiracy theory. This person found the encounter disturbing.
On Thursday, Rodgers did not deny the comments he made to Brown or the other source, but said on X: “As I have said in the past, what happened at Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not happen. Once again, I hope we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to avoid unnecessary loss of life. “My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the affected families along with the entire Sandy Hook community.”
Kennedy’s campaign announced Wednesday that the candidate will name his running mate on March 26 in Oakland, California. Kennedy told CNN in an interview Tuesday that he had recently met with Rodgers, as well as former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, about the possibility of joining his campaign.
Following the CNN report, a campaign spokesperson said Kennedy believes the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a “horrible tragedy.”
“Mr. Kennedy believes the Sandy Hook shooting was a horrible tragedy. The 20 children and 6 adults who died on December 14, 2012 united the entire country in grief. Let us honor their memory,” Kennedy’s spokeswoman told CNN. , Stefanie Spear.
This story was updated with a comment from the Kennedy campaign and a comment from Aaron Rodgers about X.