Podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan made it clear on Friday that he will not support Robert Kennedy Jr. for president over former President Donald Trump, after he sparked anger among Trump supporters.
Speaking to YouTuber Sam Gymlan about the election on Thursday, Rogan lamented that both the right and the left are “manipulating you, gaslighting you, pushing narratives.”
“The only one who doesn’t is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” said Rogan, who praised Kennedy as “the only one who makes sense to me.”
When Gymlan asked if Rogan was a fan of RFK Jr., he agreed.
“He is the only one who does not attack people, but actions and ideas, but he is much more reasonable and intelligent,” he said.
But Rogan was forced to reverse his apparent support for RFK Jr. a day later after massive backlash from MAGA.
“For the record, this is not a recommendation,” Rogan said wrote in a rare post on X on Friday. ‘This is to say that I like RFK Jr. as a person, and I appreciate the way he discusses issues with civility and intelligence.’
Joe Rogan at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas for his Netflix special
Rogan also praised Trump for his response to the attempted assassination of him in Butler, Pennsylvania, after he was shot in the ear by a gunman.
“I also think Trump raising his fist in the air and yelling ‘fight!’ after he got shot is one of the most American f***ing things of all time,” he said.
Rogan sparked outrage from angry Trump supporters after a clip from his show indicated he supported Kennedy for president.
Trump questioned Rogan’s apparent support on social media.
“It will be interesting to see how hard Joe Rogan gets booed the next time he steps into the UFC ring???” Trump asked in a message on Truth Social — even after Rogan attempted to clarify his position.
Rogan’s praise for Kennedy and subsequent news articles about his “support” of Kennedy over Trump angered his supporters
‘So – I’ve never been a fan of Joe Rogan – I can’t stand him – yeah, he has a popular podcast, but I’ve always thought he was completely politically stupid – he’s very good at figuring things out two years later than we are,’ wrote X.com user @catturd2 on social media to his 2.7 million followers.
Joe Rogan in his podcast studio in Austin, TX
He pointed out that Rogan supported Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016.
“He’s the podcast equivalent of a dumb blonde joke,” @catturd2 concluded.
Jack Posobiec, editor of Human Events, said the moment proves why Rogan is quietly anti-Trump.
“Now you know why Rogan has a blacklist of pro-Trump people on his show,” he wrote on social media, highlighting Rogan’s praise for Kennedy.
Rogan’s podcast attracts a large male audience, many of whom are Trump supporters.
In June 2023, he interviewed Kennedy, where they discussed his family’s history, government censorship, and struggles with government measures regarding coronavirus lockdowns and vaccination mandates.
Although Rogan has met and shaken hands with Trump during his UFC fight appearances, he has never invited the former president for an interview.
“Most people aren’t really interested in your endorsement, we want you to have Trump on your platform,” X.com user “Johnny Maga” wrote in response to Rogan’s post.
Podcaster Tim Pool, who previously announced that he wanted to vote for Trump, lamented that Trump’s supporters were driving away like-minded people with their outrage.
“There is a reason they can’t get a Rogan endorsement and it’s this exact behavior,” he wrote on social media. “The best podcast, remarkably independent, honest and sincere and they decide to go to war with it instead of trying to build an alliance with it.”
On July 9, Trump and Rogan were spotted shaking hands at the UFC 290 fight in Las Vegas — and the 77-year-old presidential candidate has since pressed for an invitation to sit down and record with him
When Gymlan asked if Rogan was a fan of RFK Jr., he agreed
Rogan made headlines last month when he predicted Kamala Harris would win, but he also said he was surprised by how quickly the media narrative shifted in her favor.
“I feel like we’re in a bizarre time where people are giving in to the bullshit in a way that I never expected,” Rogan argued. “They just don’t want Trump no matter what, and they’re willing to manipulate themselves — and by the way, I think Hillary could win.”
Rogan has been widely critical of President Joe Biden for months for his apparent mental and physical decline, and he is generally critical of establishment politicians.
He has hosted Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on his show several times and even Sen. Bernie Sanders in August 2019.
In August 2023, podcaster Patrick Bet-David urged Rogan to interview Trump, despite Rogan’s public reluctance to do so.
“I don’t know — maybe,” Rogan said. “At some point, it just is. It would be interesting to hear his perspective on a lot of things.”
