Aaron Rodgers suggests JFK assassination piqued his interest in politics, 'disheartened' with two-party system
Rodgers' revelation was made in the Netflix docuseries 'Enigma'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aaron Rodgers’ flirtation with politics was addressed in the second episode of his three-part Netflix documentary, "Enigma."
The New York Jets quarterback was floated as a possible running mate to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. earlier this year before the independent presidential candidate eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed Donald Trump.
Rodgers and Kennedy went on a hike, and the four-time NFL MVP admitted to Kennedy that John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 initially piqued his interest in politics.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers balances a ball before a game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
"I mean, I got into politics back when I was a sophomore in high school. I mean, the idea, all around, honestly, your uncle’s death, and that was my first entrance into pulling the veil back, as I call it, on, like, what’s actually going on because I read the Warren Commission’s report about it. I remember it hit me going, ‘This is what they said happened?’ This can’t be real," he said.
"And then I went to Berkeley, which is a crazy political environment. It’s super leftist, and I grew up in a really conservative, small-town environment. So, that was fun to have, like, my ideologies tested. But, I mean, it’s … I’ve just been disheartened forever, that there’s a two-party system that’s really one party. The one party that's ruling is the people with the money. So, I really didn’t have any hope in politics until, really, you announced your candidacy."
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. visits "The Story With Martha MacCallum" at Fox News Channel Studios Sept. 25, 2024, in New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Rodgers later confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked him to be his running mate. However, he chose to continue playing football with the Jets.
"Retire and go into politics or play two or three more years," he said. "I definitely envisioned a life without football, and it wasn’t scary. I felt comfort in being able to move on at some point. But I love football. I want to keep playing. And I hated the way last year went. There’s still some unfinished business in New Jersey."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amid the drama that came with the possibility of Rodgers being Kennedy’s running mate was a report that claimed he allegedly shared conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook shooting.
Rodgers denied the allegations at the time and in the episode he seemed shocked that someone would paint him that way.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts after a missed throw against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., Dec 15, 2024. (Morgan Tencza/Imagn Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Misrepresentation is a trigger for sure. Trauma, trigger, whatever," Rodgers said.
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