Although Joe Rogan has come under fire for his controversial Spotify podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” earlier this year, it seems that even he has to draw some lines.
On Monday, the former “Fear Factor” host brought on Lex Fridman, a computer scientist and a podcast host. During their conversation, Rogan clarified that he is “not a Trump supporter, in any way” and took things one step further when he revealed that he actually “had the opportunity” to have the former President on his show… and he said no!
Joe Rogan ‘Had The Opportunity’ To Have Donald Trump On His Podcast: ‘I Have Said No Every Time’
Joe Rogan may have invited plenty of controversial figures on his show when it came to the COVID-19 vaccine, but it seems that he draws the line at inviting someone as polarizing as Donald Trump on his podcast.
Rogan called the former POTUS an “existential threat to democracy itself,” according to Business Insider. Rogan went on to say that “I am not a Trump supporter in any way, shape, or form.” That’s when he added: “I have had the opportunity to have him on my show, more than once, and I have said no every time.”
Although Trump seems to be seeking the Republican nomination in the next presidential election, Rogan said, “I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.”
Donald Trump Once Defended Joe Rogan & His Controversial Podcast
Back in February, Donald Trump actually stepped in to defend “The Joe Rogan Experience” due to the backlash Rogan was receiving, not only for allegedly spreading COVID-19 vaccination information but also for the repeated use of the N-word during his interviews.
According to the L.A. Times, Trump told Rogan to “stop apologizing,” adding, “Don’t let them make you look weak.” In a statement dated February 7 and posted to Twitter by spokeswoman Liz Harrington, Trump had said, “Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics.”
Joe Rogan:
The Democratic Party “has made us all morons with this Joe Biden thing… I would rather vote for Trump than him. I don’t think he can handle anything.”
pic.twitter.com/IDYJCwRX2F— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 4, 2020
Rogan’s new stance seems in contrast to comments that he made in 2020. According to the Daily Caller, Rogan said that he would rather vote for Trump than current President Joe Biden. During the interview, Rogan criticized the Democratic Party, saying that they have “made us all morons with this Joe Biden thing.” He added, “I would rather vote for Trump than [Biden]. I don’t think [Biden] can handle anything.”
Interestingly enough, Business Insider reported that Joe Rogan actually is politically liberal on several issues and had previously endorsed Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during his presidential bid.
Joe Rogan Says That Donald Trump Will Be Running ‘Against A Dead Man’
During his podcast interview on Monday, Rogan predicted that Trump, 76, will seek the Republican nomination in the next presidential election. Trump’s team has yet to make any official announcements about a possible run.
“He is going to run again, things are going to get weirder, he is running against a dead man,” Rogan said, referring to Biden, who is 79. Joe Biden has also not confirmed that he will seek re-election in the next presidential race.
Rogan also criticized Biden’s interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, saying that Biden “was just rambling.” Rogan continued, “If he was anyone else, a Republican, if it was Donald Trump doing that, every f—ing talk show would be screaming for him to be off the air.”
Although Rogan doesn’t seem to be a fan of Trump, he did say in a previous episode that he thought Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “would work as a good president.” DeSantis is up for reelection in Florida in November and has not indicated whether he is seeking a possible presidential run.
That being said, Fridman ventured that Rogan would change his mind about hosting Donald Trump, considering that he hosted controversial figures, like rapper Kanye West, in the past. However, Rogan argued that the “Donda” rapper was “an artist” and the Yeezy founder “doing well or not doing well doesn’t change the course of our country.”
“Do you really bear the responsibility of the course of our country based on a conversation?” Fridman asked.
“I think you can revitalize and rehabilitate someone’s image in a way that is pretty shocking,” Rogan replied.
After some back-and-forth, Rogan doubled down on his reluctance to host Donald Trump. “I don’t think he would genuinely be there,” Rogan said. “I think he would be putting on a performance.”
In another unexpected twist, Joe Rogan also argued with conservative actress Gina Carano about the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in another recent episode. Fans can read more about that conversation here.
