On Thursday, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke out about a claim that he was a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theorist made in a recent CNN report.
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The report from CNN alleged that Rodgers had floated conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in private conversations.
Conspiracy theories about the shooting include some that allege it never happened and others that claim it was planned by the government.
However, Rodgers said that he does not believe nor does he associate with any of the conspiracy theories.
“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.
The 2012 shooting claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut.
In the report from CNN, reporter Pamela Brown claimed that she had an interaction with Rodgers at the Kentucky Derby in 2013 in which he expressed his belief that the shooting was “actually a government inside job and the media was intentionally ignoring it.”
The report went on to say that at least one other person was involved in the conversation where Rodgers shared the conspiracy theory.
The story from CNN was published after the New York Times reported that Rodgers is a potential running mate for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.