Topline
The country’s most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, says he believes immigration raids and accusations of fraud in Minnesota daycare centers are deliberate distractions from the Epstein files, his latest critique as he becomes increasingly critical of President Trump after endorsing his 2024 campaign.
Joe Rogan has stepped up criticism of President Donald Trump since endorsing his 2024 run. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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Key Facts
Rogan and his guest, comedian Ehsan Ahmad, criticized the Trump administration’s delayed release of the Epstein files on the latest episode of Rogan’s show, released Thursday afternoon.
Rogan said he feels the Epstein file controversy is “going to go on for a long time” and said the “whole thing is weird,” questioning the Justice Department: “I mean, they said they released them, but, what did they release?”
Ahmad criticized redactions in the Epstein files and said the files have been “drowned out by everything else that’s been going on,” citing allegations of fraud against Minnesota daycare centers and the shooting of Renée Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers earlier this month.
“I think some of that’s on purpose,” Rogan whispered into the microphone.
Rogan also mocked Trump administration officials and right-wing influencers for standing outside the White House with binders labeled “The Epstein Files” last February and criticized Trump for failing to deliver on a campaign promise to release all Epstein-related documents.
More than 2 million files related to Jeffrey Epstein are still to be released, according to court filings, with only about 12,000 files released so far despite the Justice Department missing a December deadline to release them all.
How Rogan Has Become More Critical Of Trump
Rogan, who hosted Trump on his podcast in 2024 and endorsed his presidential campaign, has become increasingly critical of the president throughout his second term, particularly over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files and immigration raids. Last week, Rogan called the ICE shooting of Good “horrible” on his podcast, stating it’s “very ugly to watch someone shoot a U.S. citizen, especially a woman, in the face.” Rogan criticized the Trump administration’s defense of the shooting, stating it “seemed like she was turning the car away” from the ICE officer and was not trying to hit him. Rogan said he understands the point of view of people who say the administration has deployed “militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up—many of which turn out to actually be U.S. citizens that just don’t have their papers on them.” Rogan also broke with Trump over intervention in Venezuela, calling a potential war a “terrible idea” on his podcast in December. In the same episode, featuring guest Shane Gillis, both Rogan and Gillis criticized Trump’s harsh comments on Rob Reiner following the actor-director’s death, with Rogan saying Trump’s lack of empathy makes it “hard to like” him. In July, Rogan criticized Trump’s immigration policies as “crazy” and an “overcorrection.” “They’re kicking students out that write articles they don’t like,” Rogan said, calling it “f—ing crazy.”
Key Background
Rogan has been the world’s most popular podcaster for years. In December, Spotify announced “The Joe Rogan Experience” was the most popular podcast on the platform globally for the sixth year in a row. Rogan is often linked to the “manosphere,” an informal label for a group of podcasters and influencers that appeal to young men with a conservative tilt. The manosphere’s support of Trump in 2024 was considered important for his election victory as many Gen Z voters shifted to the right. During his campaign, Trump appeared on podcasts or streams hosted by Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, the Nelk Boys and Adin Ross.
What Other Manosphere Figures Have Criticized Trump?
Some “manosphere” podcasters who previously interviewed or endorsed Trump have recently distanced themselves from him during his presidency, with Schulz saying in July that Trump is “doing the exact opposite” of what he said during his campaign. “I’m like, ‘I voted for none of this,’” Schulz said, stating he wants Trump to “stop the wars — he’s funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget — he’s increasing it.” Ross also said in September he wishes he had never gotten involved in politics, stating he doesn’t think he will “ever care enough again for any other politician ever in the future.” Von, whose August 2024 interview with Trump racked up more than 17 million views on YouTube, called out the Department of Homeland Security in September for using a clip of the comedian saying, “Heard you got deported, dude, bye!” in a video the agency posted to social media. In a post on X, Von said, “Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this,” urging the department to “please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos,” stating his views on immigration are more complex than a quick sound bite. Von also slammed the Trump administration over the Epstein files in July, reposting a clip of Vice President JD Vance’s appearance on his podcast in which he called for all Epstein-related documents to be released. “Yeah what changed?” Von said in his post.
Further Reading
Joe Rogan Calls ICE Shooting Of Renee Good ‘Horrible’ In Latest Break With Trump (Forbes)