Podcast host Joe Rogan said “a bunch of things” led to changing his stance against interviewing President Donald Trump, including the various legal battles Trump faced.
In 2022, Rogan said he’d never have Trump on The Joe Rogan Experience, noting that he was “not interested in helping him.” However, he welcomed Trump on the show less than two weeks before the 2024 election. In reflecting on this change, Rogan cited the various lawsuits Trump was facing, saying they were “obviously” an attempt to convict Trump and “turn him into a felon.”
Trump became the first former president to receive a criminal conviction when he was convicted of 34 felony counts in May 2024, which Rogan said people were “cheering” on.
“He’s a convicted felon! Hey, they can do that to you! Do you understand that? If they can do that to a former president, a former f***ing president who’s rich as s***, they can do that to him, they can do that to you too! You can’t cheer this on! This is insane!” Rogan said on the Ultimate Human Podcast with Gary Brecka.
Rogan also mentioned how the July 2024 assassination attempt changed his opinion about interviewing Trump. He added that it is “insane” how very little is still known about the attempt on Trump’s life or the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Beyond these factors, Rogan criticized how the media interviewed Trump, saying the candidate was never treated “like a human being.” He also condemned the media for taking Trump “out of context,” calling this “gross” and “anti-American.”
“It was just un-American to me. It’s just like, you’re subverting democracy. You’re killing the whole thing, and you’re doing it with deep state money,” Rogan said.
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Rogan’s interview with Trump, uploaded on Oct. 25, garnered 59.5 million views on YouTube. The two discussed the biggest mistakes made during Trump’s first administration, the candidate’s assassination attempt, and extraterrestrial life.
Rogan also sought to interview former Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent in the 2024 election, but was unable to agree to her prerequisites. In February, Rogan said he intended to release his interviews with Trump and Harris on the same day, and wanted both interviews conducted in his studio.