Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. caused quite the stir Tuesday when he confirmed that he had been in contact with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former pro-wrestler turned Minnesota governor (1999-2003) Jesse Ventura about the possibility of being his vice presidential running mate.

According to the New York Times, Kennedy, who Democrats view as a serious threat to Joe Biden's reelection campaign, said he has regularly been conversing with both in recent weeks, especially Rodgers.

Though neither Ventura nor Rodgers has commented publicly about Kennedy's statement, Kennedy mentioning Rodgers as a strong contender apparently caused some triggering at CNN, which one day after news broke of RFK Jr.'s VIP shortlist published a hit piece written by Jake Tapper alleging Rodgers expressed in "private conversations" a decade ago conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook mass shooting:

... Rodgers, who in private conversations shared deranged conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting not being real.

CNN knows of two people with whom Rodgers has enthusiastically shared these stories, including with Pamela Brown, one of the journalists writing this piece.

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. 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.

[...]

CNN has spoken to another person with a similar story. This person, to whom CNN has granted anonymity so as to avoid harassment, recalled that several years ago, Rodgers claimed, “Sandy Hook never happened…All those children never existed. They were all actors.”

While I think there is pretty near universal agreement that "Sandy Hook was a hoax" pushers are a despicable lot, the timing of this CNN story and the sourcing absolutely should be questioned.

Not long after it hit the Internet, there were questions raised almost immediately about the sources: the CNN reporter (Pamela Brown) and the alleged anonymous person.

Brown was allegedly told these comments over 10 years ago and is just now reporting on them in detail?

My question is why did Pamela Brown a journalist keep this news to herself for 11 years? It wasn’t valuable? He was too powerful or the timing wasn’t right? It seems to be a pattern with @CNN, Holding news or hunting it down only once someone becomes a threat to the Democrats.

— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) March 14, 2024

For the record, two months ago, Brown was filling in for Tapper on his CNN show when she referenced allegedly talking to Rodgers 11 years ago where she said he "was spewing a very disturbing debunked conspiracy theory to me," but she didn't mention what it was.

Further, there is the opportune "anonymous source" who just so happened to be willing to corroborate Brown's allegations a day after RFK Jr. affirmed that he was considering Rodgers for a veep pick.

Also, there is bad blood between CNN and Rodgers based in part on the comments Rodgers made about late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and Jeffrey Epstein in January in response to Kimmel bashing Rodgers (which Rodgers later walked back):

Tapper wanted @PatMcAfeeShow to fire Aaron Rodgers due to his comments on Jimmy Kimmel. He even brought on @JulieDiCaro to create media pressure which they thought worked but Aaron Rodgers came back the next day.

— Sarcastic Cupcake (@SarcasticCupcak) March 14, 2024

Here's what Tapper said at the time:

"False, defamatory, wildly irresponsible and not funny if Rodgers was trying to be funny," Tapper said. "This is child sex trafficking we're talking about. That's not funny."

"I guess (Disney CEO) Bob Iger now has a question. Does he allow ESPN and this nitwit — I'm not talking about McAfee — to continue to have this forum, even when they're smearing somebody who's been working for ABC, I think, for more than 20 years now."

"I don't know if Rodgers thinks this makes him look good," Tapper concluded. "I think it makes him look pathetic."

Consider, too, what Rodgers said publicly about Sandy Hook after it happened:

FWIW…here’s Aaron Rodgers public comments on Sandy Hook, 10 years ago courtesy of FOX6 Milwaukee:#AaronRodgers #Jets pic.twitter.com/uuqbTlEXHe

— jamie stuart (@jamiestuartTV) March 14, 2024

I'm not saying Brown and CNN's anonymous source are lying. Rodgers may have indeed said this stuff. If it's confirmed that he did, he's going to lose a lot of fan support and many who have previously defended him would rightly walk away.

What I am saying, however, is that CNN has a notorious history of pushing baseless and/or embellished/overcooked stories and theories about people and issues in such a way as to conveniently advance Democratic narratives and agendas.

Receipts:

I saw @jaketapper had some strong words today about "unprecedented smear campaigns" that include "wild and false allegations."

So I made a Supercut. pic.twitter.com/E3An6PiQi6

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 17, 2020

Always question the timing and the sources. Always.

Flashback: Terry Bradshaw Hits Aaron Rodgers for COVID Vaccine 'Lie' and I Have Thoughts