Joe Rogan Under Fire As Mark Ruffalo Accuses Him Of Enabling Donald Trump’s Agenda

Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo is calling out Joe Rogan for expressing shock over the reality of Donald Trump's mass deportation policies, policies many critics argue were made abundantly clear from the start.

Over the weekend, Mark Ruffalo took to Threads to slam the controversial podcaster after Rogan voiced outrage on "The Joe Rogan Experience" about recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting migrant workers.

The Marvel star didn't mince words in his response.

"Dear Joe Rogan, it's a little late now to pretend like Project 2025 didn't exist and wasn't the playbook all along," Ruffalo wrote. "You are either not that smart or not that dumb. It's hard to tell at this point."

Ruffalo's comments were prompted by a post from progressive news outlet The Tennessee Holler, which accused Rogan of helping facilitate Trump's re-election and ignoring repeated warnings about what his administration would bring.

"You were warned repeatedly, yet you helped get him elected and helped let this happen," the outlet wrote. "It's good that you're speaking up, but please be honest with yourself about the role you played here."

On Wednesday's episode of his podcast, Rogan described recent ICE activity under Trump as "insane" and "horrific," specifically criticizing the targeting of everyday laborers.

"The targeting of migrant workers, not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up at construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners," Rogan said. "Like, really?"

He added, "I don't think anybody would have signed up for that."

But critics were quick to point out that Trump made no secret of his plans. In fact, according to NBC News, Trump's campaign included a pledge to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history, targeting over 10 million undocumented immigrants.

Since taking office, those efforts have ramped up significantly as ICE arrests have doubled and detention numbers have hit a record high.

As of June 20, 2025, over 55,000 migrants are being held in detention centers. The deportation numbers are equally staggering: 11,000 in February, 12,300 in March, and 17,200 in April.

This also comes as a new migrant detention center, nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," was officially unveiled during a high-profile visit to Florida by President Donald Trump. Joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and top state officials, Trump toured the cages, posed for photos, and praised the site as a model for future expansion.

Rogan's shifting stance has raised eyebrows, notably after he hosted Trump on his show during the 2024 campaign season and later endorsed the former president.

Analysts credited "The Joe Rogan Experience," which boasts a predominantly male audience, estimated at 71% by Media Monitors, with influencing the swing of young male voters to the right in the last election.

While Rogan has since distanced himself from some of Trump's policies, particularly immigration, critics like Ruffalo believe the damage has already been done.

Ruffalo, long known for his political activism, campaigned for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, slamming Trump along the way.

In a fiery social media video after Trump won the election, the "Avengers" star pushed back against the narrative that immigrants are to blame for the nation's problems. "Immigrants aren't criminals," Ruffalo said, per Variety. "They add to our economy by the billions."

Instead, Ruffalo argued, it's the "billionaires who are the true villains," those exploiting power and wealth while deflecting blame onto the most vulnerable. "It's time to take our country back from extreme wealth that has its hands all over the power of the nation," he said.

In a separate statement posted to his Instagram, Ruffalo took direct aim at supporters of Trump's hardline immigration tactics, challenging their outrage toward migrant workers while ignoring larger systemic issues.

"You want to get rid of the people who are picking your food, without a care in the world for who is poisoning your bodies with chemicals that aren't ever meant to be in nature," he wrote. "You want to drive out those who make your life easier but not question those who dull your minds with lies and disinformation meant to confuse you and destroy brotherly and sisterly love for us here? You're pointing your guns in the wrong direction."

His recent remarks are part of a broader push from progressive voices urging accountability from public figures with large platforms.