Joe Rogan claims he refused to interview Trump

“I’m not interested in helping him,” he told podcast host Lex Fridman.

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Culture

Joe Rogan seems to be content living at the center of controversies. Not only has he been criticized for his past use of the N-word, but his podcast is also a known fire starter, consistently stoking the flames on both sides of the political spectrum. Rogan’s approach of giving people the benefit of the doubt and hearing all points of view is a libertarian-flavored free-for-all that’s seen mass removal of The Joe Rogan Experience episodes from Spotify for spreading misinformation about Covid-19. And while Rogan doesn’t seem to care about having dangerous anti-vax “scientists” on his show, he wants everyone to know that he at least didn’t give Donald Trump any airtime.

Rogan went on the Lex Fridman Podcast to confirm that he refused to interview Trump on multiple occasions. “I’m not a Trump supporter in any way, shape, or form,” Rogan said. “I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once — I’ve said no every time. I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.” Rogan labeled Trump “an existential threat to democracy itself,” but also insisted that he disagrees with people who “felt like they could abandon their own ethics and morals and principles just to attack him and anybody who supports him.”

The podcast host isn’t comfortable with the current POTUS either, though. “Biden shakes hands with people that aren’t even there when he gets off stage. I think he’s seeing ghosts,” he said. “… If he was anyone else, if he was a Republican, if that was Donald Trump doing that, every fucking talk show would be screaming for him to be off the air.”

Celebrities like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, along with hundreds of physicians, have boycotted Rogan’s podcast and expressed their concerns over his show. Still, sources confirmed to Rolling Stone that Rogan’s listenership has increased in recent months despite the controversies. We’re glad Trump hasn’t made an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, but we won’t be listening either way.