Joe Rogan endorses Donald Trump—and Elon Musk is the reason
Renowned podcast host Joe Rogan has publicly endorsed Donald Trump for the US Presidency. In a social media post, he credited "the great and powerful Elon Musk" as a major influence on his decision. Rogan showed his support by sharing a link to a nearly three-hour-long interview with Musk, which he said made "the most compelling case for Trump you'll hear."
Catch Rogan's post here
Trump acknowledged Rogan's endorsement at Pittsburgh rally
Trump acknowledged Rogan's endorsement at a rally in Pittsburgh, thanking him by saying, "Wow, I have some more big news, Megyn." He was referring to Megyn Kelly who was sharing the stage with him. Trump also thanked Rogan on his social media site, Truth Social, by writing, "THANK YOU, JOE!"
Rogan's popularity and influence in podcasting
A former mixed martial arts commentator, comedian, and game show host, Rogan is famous for his show The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify. His latest interview with Trump received 45 million views on YouTube in 10 days. Republican Vice-Presidential nominee JD Vance sparked controversy after commenting on transgender and nonbinary people on Rogan's show. Famous for his no-holds-barred conversations with famous and infamous guests, Rogan has built a massive audience despite facing criticism for some of his views and interviews.
Rogan's controversial history and Spotify's response
Rogan's podcast has been mired in controversy, with Spotify having removed some episodes featuring conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and far-right extremists Milo Yiannopoulos and Gavin McInnes. In January 2022, a group of 270 US doctors, scientists, professors, and other healthcare professionals wrote an open letter to Spotify raising concerns over Rogan's podcast. They slammed its "concerning history of broadcasting misinformation," especially about COVID-19. But apparently, this fiasco helped boost the 57-year-old's subscriber count, as he claimed in April 2022.
Rogan's previous interview with Musk went viral for another reason
Notably, this isn't the first time Rogan's show has made news headlines owing to Musk's presence. In 2018, Tesla shares took a hit and some executives resigned after Musk infamously smoked a joint on the live webcast of Rogan's show. Despite such controversies, Rogan remains a major influencer in the podcasting world with his endorsements holding a lot of weight.
