Joe Rogan is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the online space, particularly among young men. As recently as 2022, Rogan had shown support for Bernie Sanders and even called Trump “an existential threat to democracy.” He was clear on his stance that he would not support him. He also backed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when he ran as an independent.
But Rogan did a complete flip before the 2024 election. He publicly supported Donald Trump for president on the eve of the election, and even hosted him on his platform for a lengthy interview. Rogan revealed that his change of heart was influenced by Musk’s support of Trump. Rogan’s endorsement was very significant due to Rogan’s broad reach among young men, a demographic Trump specifically targeted during his campaign.
Even after Trump’s victory, Rogan continued to criticize the Democratic Party. He argued that their refusal to adapt and connect with younger voters is leading them to lose support among the masses. However, Joe Rogan seems to change his stance once again. He has voiced concerns about Trump’s policies, especially regarding tariffs, immigration, and the Israel-Iran conflict. Some people are calling him out for acting shocked, like Trump didn’t spell it all out from day one.
Rogan Joins MAGA Anger Over Trump’s Iran Moves
Joe Rogan sat down with Senator Bernie Sanders for one of his podcasts to discuss the current state of the MAGA civil war over the Iran-Israel conflict. Rogan acknowledged the growing divide among the MAGA as many of them voted for Trump in the hopes of no more unnecessary foreign wars. Joe Rogan has made his stance clear that he opposes Trump in the potential war with Iran.
Rogan also supported Kentucky lawmaker Thomas Massie after he made some “reasonable points” against Trump’s stance on Iran. Massie called Trump’s Iran strikes “unconstitutional” and argued that Trump had promised America to have an “isolationist” stance without foreign interventions.
Trump didn’t take criticism from Massie very well. He lashed out in a series of Truth Social attacks on Massie, declared Massie “not MAGA,” and launched a PAC to unseat him. Joe Rogan argued that Trump’s move only caused a Streisand effect. Trump, inadvertently, called attention to Massie’s points by doing so much to defend himself against them, giving Massie’s argument more credibility.
Joe Rogan has also expressed disappointment with different Trump’s policies since taking office. Last week, he expressed his shock and criticism of how Trump is carrying out the deportations. Rogan called ICE raids in LA and Trump’s subsequent handling of the LA protests “f—ing nuts.”
Joe Rogan Calls Trump’s Immigration Policy “Insane”
Joe Rogan, who was once a proud supporter of Trump, said it’s “insane” that non-criminal immigrants are being rounded up, detained, and deported during large-scale illegal ICE raids. Rogan discussed Trump’s immigration policy in an interview with tech entrepreneur Amjad Masad.
Rogan argued that instead of targeting cartel members, gang members, and drug dealers, ICE is targeting innocent construction workers. He said, “ICE is showing up at construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners, like, really?” Despite speaking up against Trump, some people were quick to call out his hypocrisy. Actor Mark Ruffalo lashed out at Joe Rogan for playing dumb about Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
Ruffalo argued that Rogan shouldn’t be surprised that Trump would carry out mass deportations, as they are laid out in the conservative manifesto Project 2025. “Dear Joe Rogan, it’s a little late now to pretend like Project 2025 didn’t exist and wasn’t in the playbook all along,” Ruffalo wrote on Threads.
Ruffalo’s post was in response to a post from The Tennessee Holler, which condemned Rogan for endorsing Trump in the 2024 election. “You were warned repeatedly, yet you helped get him elected and helped let this happen,” the post read. “It’s good that you’re speaking up, but please be honest with yourself about the role you played here.”
Read Next: Slashed, Silenced, and Sidelined: Inside Trump’s War on the National Science Foundation