Aaron Rodgers claps back at Jimmy Kimmel on Pat McAfee Show in Jeffrey Epstein list feud
Aaron Rodgers said Tuesday he and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel can agree on two things.
The New York Jets quarterback, who made his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” said both of them believe that pedophilia is a heinous crime and both are glad the late-night talk show host isn’t on the list.
It was the latest chapter of a drama-filled saga between the NFL quarterback and Kimmel, who threatened legal action last week.
Kimmel believes he was slandered by the Jets quarterback last week when Rodgers, on McAfee’s Show, insinuated Kimmel’s name was possibly among the Jeffrey Epstein documents released.
“There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out,” Rodgers said last week.
Rodgers joked that he would pop a bottle whenever the list comes out.
“I still haven’t popped a bottle because there hasn’t been any list that’s come out, and I’m glad that Jimmy is not on the list, I really am,’’ Rodgers said Tuesday.
Here is what the Jets star said Tuesday:
“In my opinion, he ripped me about the vax and that turns out to be a ‘L’ on many occasions because the vax was not safe and effective like we were told in the beginning,” Rodgers said, who claimed he wasn’t offended by being ripped for that. “Fast forward, unprompted, we’re talking on our as show as we do about a lot of different topics. Somehow the Epstein client list comes up.
“I said, ‘It’s interesting – and there for a long time, even still there hasn’t been a list that has been released, there’s been one person’s deposition from a 2015 case. … But we said there’s an excitement to expose corruption and people who are exposed for these heinous crimes that will be nice that we can all get this out in the open. … Unprompted, he comes out and says that I’m an overly concussed wacko. In my opinion that seemed like because I believed there was a list and there were names on that.
“We fast forward to this last week, I said, and I’m quoting myself here, ‘A lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are really hoping that doesn’t come out. End quote. That’s what I said. That’s the entire quote.”
Rodgers’ point is that he was not insinuating Kimmel was on the list. Instead, Kimmel would be wrong again.
“I was referring to the fact if there is a list … and there are names on it, then that would be the second time a soft-brain, junior college student wacko, anti-vax, antisemite, spreader of misinformation, conspiracy theorist, MAGA, whatever other things that have been said by him and other people in the media would be right.
“That is the truth, No. 1.
“No. 2, I totally understand how serious an allegation of pedophilia would be. So, for him to be upset about that, I get it.”
He then asked Kimmel, who wasn’t there, a rhetorical question.
“Did you watch the quote because that’s exactly what I said,” Rodgers continued. Verbatim what I said.
“I’m not stupid enough – even though you think I am an idiot and you made comments about my intelligence. I’m not stupid enough to accuse you of that with zero evidence.”
The feud between the two began during the COVID-19 pandemic when Kimmel ridiculed Rodgers for his stance against vaccinations and said he was “immunized.’’
The quarterback said it didn’t stop there. He said Kimmel made comments about how unvaccinated people don’t deserve treatment, gave a platform to “one of the biggest spreaders of misinformation” Dr. Anthony Fauci and more.
“Aaron Rodgers has a very high opinion of himself,” Kimmel said on his Monday monologue. “Because he had success on the football field, he believes himself to be an extraordinary being. (The) idea that his brain was just average was unfathomable. Aaron got two A’s on his report card and they were both in the word ‘Aaron.’”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.