Joe Rogan has become one of the most influential voices in politics. In recent years, he has leaned more conservative, to the point where multiple Democrats now want their own version of The Joe Rogan Experience just so they can push back.
Rogan hasn’t always been a staunch Republican. His politics leaned rightward after engaging with conspiracy theorists and Republican leaders. He flirted with both parties until the eve of the election, when he finally endorsed Trump. Until now, he hadn’t acknowledged that Democrats were also trying to forge media networks with popular podcasts, to platform their own personalities with opposing views. And nobody expected the idea to irritate the podcast giant this much.
Rogan hosted fellow podcaster and comedian Andrew Schulz, who was promoting his Netflix stand-up special, Life. The two laughed off claims that their network of podcasts — where hosts and guests rotate weekly — is secretly funded to push a conservative agenda. Rogan insisted they appear on each other’s shows simply because they’re friends. While at it, he took a swipe at Democrats, claiming they could never create a similar network because they would never get along. He joked that they would fall out over who had the bigger Ukrainian flag in their bio. Saying, “You guys are out of your minds. You’re not going to sync up together. You’re in a suicide cult.”
🚨 JOE ROGAN: “CNN said that there’s this network of podcasts for the right that’s this huge corporate financed network. No, it’s just a bunch of friends you f**king idiots. We do each others podcasts.
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) March 6, 2025
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Rogan was being economical with the truth. They’re not just friends who happen to align politically. UFC CEO Dana White recently told Forbes that he pushed this podcast network to host Trump during his campaign. White also itted he encouraged Rogan to endorse Trump. He and Rogan have worked together for decades in the UFC, where Rogan serves as a commentator. So, the idea that no corporate forces influence them is misleading. There’s a reason Elon Musk feels comfortable appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience multiple times but avoids The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he wouldn’t get softball questions about his AI chatbot, Grok.
Rogan — like many other Trump allies — only s this istration temporarily. The podcast bro network operates on a quid pro quo basis that isn’t always obvious. They use each other for growth and viewership, and saw Trump as good for clicks. They rarely mention specific Trump policies they beyond his personality. When the tariffs and other missteps prove disastrous, they will likely turn their backs on him. Rogan once backed Bernie Sanders, but shifted as soon as his audience favored something else. He’s not above doing that again.
Democrats already have reliable voices in podcasting — from Jon Stewart’s The Weekly Show to Pod Save America. Even Bill Burr could throw his hat in the ring with a working-class approach. They’re also more cordial than Rogan suggests. These podcasts just need and a bit more time to grow into their best versions. But Rogan is right that they should appear on each other’s shows more often.
Rogan just has the biggest podcast in the world, so no one else’s reach compares. But claiming the left only focuses on irrelevant issues is ridiculous — especially when Rogan champions a man who sees owning Greenland and Canada as a viable path to prosperity.
Published: Mar 7, 2025 06:16 pm