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As the world’s No. 1 podcaster, Joe Rogan’s words carry weight, whether his detractors like it or not. On Saturday, he threw that weight behind the Republican Party.
On an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan was reflecting on the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers when the conversation turned political.
“No one who is alive today had ever experienced a true pandemic, and I’m hoping that now that this is over, people are going to recognize that some serious errors were made and not repeat those,” Rogan said. “That’s the best you can get out of it.”
When Rodgers asked Rogan what he tells those who are angry over those “errors,” the podcaster’s answer was, “Vote Republican.”
Citing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s leadership as an example of a “pretty reasonable” response to Covid, Rogan noted that his own advice would likely be unnecessary as “more than a million people” have switched to the Republican Party in the last year.
While on June 27, the Associated Press initially reported that statistic to be accurate, on July 7, the story was corrected to show that across 31 states, more than 430,000 voters switched to the Republican Party. However, when compared to the 240,000 voters who switched to the Democrat Party in the same time span, the conclusion remains the same: Republicans are out-recruiting Democrats, and it is not even close.
Rogan, who is not known for being overtly political, has become popular in recent years for his willingness to interview those of all political persuasions, establishing his show as a middle-of-the-road alternative to the mainstream media. According to TIME, his podcast boasts an audience of roughly 11 million listeners per episode.
Earlier this year, however, the podcaster came under fire for interviewing individuals who questioned the mainstream narrative on Covid vaccines, with one University of Chicago epidemiologist telling Rolling Stone that she thought him “a menace to public health.”
Further, when some accused Rogan of being racist in March for out-of-context comments he had made previously, President Donald Trump came to Rogan’s defense.
“Joe Rogan’s not a racist,” the president said in an interview on the “Full Send Podcast,” adding that Rogan was “a very interesting guy that people like listening to.”
However, Trump did have some advice for the popular host after he apologized for his controversial comments.
“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,” the president said in a statement. “Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened. That’s not you and it never will be!”
Rogan, for his part, seems to have embraced that line of thinking as he has continued with business as usual, interviewing guests like Rodgers, who faced backlash over his decision not to get the Covid vaccine.
Further, in another recent episode, Rogan interviewed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who revealed that the FBI had urged the social media site to algorithmically limit the spread of the Hunter Biden laptop story prior to the 2020 presidential election.
But while Rogan will undoubtedly continue to welcome diverse perspectives on his show, given his latest interviews and comments – and the left’s penchant for punishing those who do not fall in line – more attempts to shut him down may be in the near future.