Just hours before Election Day 2024, Joe Rogan officially endorsed Donald Trump for president, surprising and stirring reactions across the internet.
Rogan posted his latest podcast with billionaire 'X' owner and Trump's number one endorser, Elon Musk. Joe Rogan captioned the post:
“The great and powerful @elonmusk. If it wasn’t for him we’d be f**ked. He makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way. For the record, yes, that’s an endorsement of Trump. Enjoy the podcast,”
Trump also posted about Joe Rogan's endorsement news on his socials. He said:
"I just received word about Joe Rogan's endorsement, he is a fantastic guy and it is a great honor to receive it. Thankyou Joe, very much."
But, as this announcement seems to be finding a life of its own, let's dig deeper into the history of Joe Rogan's endorsements and changing political stances.
Who did Joe Rogan endorse in 2020?
While Joe Rogan did not completely embrace the endorsement, he low-key endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2020 elections. In his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience that now has over 14.5 million followers on Spotify, 19 million followers on Instagram, and 17 million followers on YouTube, Rogan said:
“I think I'll probably vote for Bernie... He’s been insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing, been for the same thing his whole life. And that in and of itself is a very powerful structure to operate from.”
The decision to publicly acknowledge support from Joe Rogan sparked backlash from some of Bernie Sanders's supporters, particularly within the transgender community. Critics have accused Rogan of making transphobic remarks in past podcast episodes, which had raised concerns about aligning with an endorsement of a Democratic candidate.
However, in the 2016 U.S. elections, Joe Rogan said he had voted for the Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. In a post he said:
"I voted for Gary Johnson, and I lean FAR more left than right."
Joe Rogan’s political journey has been anything but straightforward. Starting with a more solidly left-leaning stance, he’s since taken a roller-coaster ride through issues on crime, gender policies, and questions about President Biden’s age—and he’s not shy about sharing his thoughts with a touch of that classic Rogan boldness.
Joe Rogan and Donald Trump's relationship
The reason Donald Trump's endorsement may come as a surprise to some is that, as recently as 2022, Joe Rogan made statements saying he didn’t want to “help” Trump by having him on his podcast, describing Trump as “an existential threat to democracy.” However, Trump did appear on The Joe Rogan Experience this October.
Earlier this year, in January, Rogan also mentioned his preference for alternative candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom he saw as sensible and independent. He described Kennedy Jr. as:
"The only one that makes sense to me".
This endorsement wasn’t well received by Trump, who predicted that Rogan would face backlash from Trump’s supporters.
Both Rogan and Trump share associations with high-profile allies like RFK Jr. and Elon Musk, who have recently aligned themselves with Trump. Despite past criticisms, Rogan has acknowledged Trump’s economic policies and his strong stance on foreign conflicts like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza—issues Trump has promised to address if elected.
So what is Joe Rogan's political stance?
Today, Rogan’s political identity is less about fitting into a particular box and more about his willingness to question both sides, keeping fans and critics on their toes. One minute he’s siding with the left, the next he’s calling out issues he sees on the right, all while making people wonder where he’ll land next.
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You could say he’s carved out his own lane in politics, where complex, ever-evolving perspectives make for quite the show!
His recent shifts have left him somewhere in the wild middle ground, making his political stance as unpredictable as one of his UFC fight-night commentaries.
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