CNN
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has confirmed that one of his running mate candidates includes New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In private conversations, Rogers shared an insane conspiracy theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was not real.
CNN knows of two people with whom Rogers enthusiastically shared these stories. That includes one of his journalists, Pamela Brown, who is writing this article.
Brown was covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013 when he was introduced to Rodgers, then a member of the Green Bay Packers, at a post-Derby party. When Rodgers heard she was a CNN journalist, he immediately began attacking the news organization for covering up her important story. Mr. Rogers highlighted the tragic killing of 20 children and six adults by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School, arguing that it was actually an inside job in the government and that the media is deliberately ignoring it. did.
When Brown questioned him about the evidence that this very real shooting took place, Rogers began sharing various theories that have been disproven many times. Such conspiracy theories were later at the center of a lawsuit brought by the victim's family against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over the incident.
Jones has repeatedly lied, claiming the 2012 mass shooting was staged and that his family and first responders were “parties to the crisis,” leading to multiple lawsuits and lawsuits filed in Connecticut. A trial will be held in 2022 regarding the lawsuit.
Families at trial told in heartbreaking terms how the lies led to relentless harassment of their loved ones, compounding the emotional pain of losing their loved ones.
Ms. Brown said Ms. Rogers asked her if she thought it strange that there were men in black clothes in the woods near the school, and she falsely claimed that the men were actually government agents. I remembered that. Brown found the encounter unsettling.
Mr. Rogers declined to comment to CNN through one of his representatives.
CNN spoke to another person with a similar story. The person, whom CNN granted anonymity to avoid harassment, said several years ago that Rogers said, “Sandy Hook never happened…all those kids never existed. They were all actors.”
When asked about the grieving parents, the source recalled Mr. Rogers saying: They are all actors. ”
Rogers went on to delve into some of the dark caverns of false conspiracy theories. This person felt uneasy about the encounter.
The Kennedy campaign announced Wednesday that the candidates will name their running mate on March 26 in Oakland, California. Kennedy told CNN in an interview Tuesday that he recently met with Rogers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, among others, about the possibility of joining his campaign.
