We reported Thursday on a hit piece from CNN's Jake Tapper about New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, which was published one day after independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed Rodgers was on his short list of possible vice presidential picks.

The CNN story contained allegations from two sources, one being an anonymous source and the other being CNN reporter Pamela Brown, that Rodgers was a Sandy Hook mass shooting conspiracy theorist, believing it was a government-orchestrated event.

As we noted in our write-up, however, not only was the article thinly sourced and the allegations unverifiable, but the timing of it was quite convenient considering Kennedy's earlier statement about Rodgers. 

Further, there is bad blood between CNN, Tapper, and Rodgers stemming in part from Rodgers' January comments about late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein - comments that led Tapper put public pressure on Disney and ESPN to no longer give Rodgers a "forum" with which to spread "false, defamatory, [and] wildly irresponsible" claims.

READ: CNN Hit Piece on Decade-Old Alleged Comments From Aaron Rodgers Raises Questions... About CNN

As we also reported, Rodgers posted a denial of CNN's claims Thursday on the Twitter machine, referencing past comments he made on the tragedy:

"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."

In an update to this developing story, Tapper filed a new "report" to address Rodgers' tweet. In one of the most blatant attempts at gaslighting ever made on CNN, he declared that Rodgers did not deny "previously sharing conspiracy theories about the tragedy" - even though that's exactly what he did in his tweet. 

Displaying his grotesque unprofessionalism and liberal bias in what was supposed to be straight news reporting, the purportedly "principled journalist" openly sneered at both Rodgers and RFK Jr. and actually chuckled when he repeated his false claim that Rodgers did not deny what CNN reported. 

At the end of it, Tapper gloated over the fact that his evidence-free hit piece is already bearing fruit because RFK donors are supposedly now expressing discontent over his consideration of Rodgers:

Aaron Rodgers issues statement about Sandy Hook, doesn’t deny previously sharing conspiracy theories about the tragedy. pic.twitter.com/cKE80WOf6L

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 15, 2024

Spectator Contributing Editor Stephen M. Miller described Tapper and his DNC-style journalisming as "just trash. You're just trash."

Others turned the tables on Tapper:

There might be a rumor going around that Jake Tapper engages in ritualistic cannibalism. He hasn't denied it yet, so it might well be true. https://t.co/hdk742MrtR

— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) March 15, 2024

What I find especially fascinating about all of this is that Tapper has skipped straight over the whole "these are allegations" qualifiers that you typically see in stories of this nature and has gone straight for the "this is true" framing, presumably because one of CNN's reporters said it happened.

The problem is that CNN has a massive credibility crisis that stems in part from pseudo-journalists like Jake Tapper who, for example, spent four years peddling Trump/Russia collusion hoax nonsense (not to mention the Brett Kavanaugh conspiracy theories) with nothing to show for it in the end. As a result, only diehard GOP-hating leftists believe anything that comes out of their mouths anymore.

Further, though CNN has no proof that Rodgers said any of these things, there is evidence Rodgers is telling the truth:

CNN reported Aaron Rodgers denied the Sandy Hook shooting. Here is Rodgers discussing how awful Sandy Hook was on TV in 2012. pic.twitter.com/VCyqbU58UP

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 14, 2024

This photo from 2012 — as captured by @KanekoaTheGreat — shows Aaron Rodgers wearing a helmet decal in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School two weeks after the event.

The @CNN report has a chance to be the most recklessly reported story in quite some time. pic.twitter.com/AL4JZgEliT

— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) March 15, 2024

I'm not an RFK Jr. fan, and I don't have any particular affinity for Rodgers one way or the other. But what I dislike even more is when bad-faith actors in the mainstream media do the bidding for one political party or another in what in the end equates to election interference, media-style.

It is not up to Aaron Rodgers to disprove what CNN alleged. It is up to CNN to prove the claims and then and only then should the alleged statements be definitively portrayed as true in their broadcasts and stories. 

Until then, I'm left to conclude that this is just more evidence of CNN doing what they do best: running interference for Democrats by trying to destroy anything and anyone that potentially could stand in their way. Prove me wrong.

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