Earlier this week, CNN shared a shocking report of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, claiming that Rodgers told one of their reporters that the Sandy Hook shooting that killed 20 children wasn’t real and was a government inside job. Rodgers has since offered a response, but CNN seems to be sticking by its reporting.
During a recent episode of The Lead on CNN, host Jake Tapper reported that Aaron Rodgers once berated CNN journalist Paula Brown while claiming that the Sandy Hook shooting wasn’t real and was a government inside job.
“In 2013, when CNN’s Pamela Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby, she was introduced to Rodgers. Hearing that she was a journalist for CNN, Rodgers began attacking the news media for ‘covering up important stories,’” Tapper said. “Rodgers then brought up the Sandy Hook shooting and said the news media was intentionally ignoring that the shooting wasn’t real – that it was a government inside job.”
Rodgers posted a response to those claims on social media.
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
“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 prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community,” Rodgers said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
But even after that response from Rodgers, CNN is sticking to its reporting with a spokesperson pointing out that Rodgers was very careful with his words in his statement.
“While Aaron Rodgers did respond on X, he did not directly deny CNN’s reporting,” a CNN spokesperson told Pro Football Talk.
It’s worth noting that while Rodgers did say that he has “never been of the opinion that the events did not take place,” he was not explicit about what “the events” were. He also did not respond to the claim that he believed the incident to be a government inside job.
Rodgers has a history of sidestepping controversy with careful language. When asked whether or not he received the COVID-19 vaccine, Rodgers said that he was “immunized,” but it was later revealed that he believed himself to be immunized in a homeopathic way, not through the vaccine.
