CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta Explains Why He Spoke With Joe Rogan: ‘If Just a Few of His Listeners Were Convinced, It Will Have Been Well Worth It’

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta penned a piece Wednesday night reflecting on his lengthy, sometimes-contentious interview with Joe Rogan.

Gupta spoke with Rogan at length about Covid-19, the vaccines, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the Wuhan lab leak theory. At one point Rogan confronted Gupta about CNN’s coverage of him taking ivermectin when he contracted Covid-19.

The CNN chief medical correspondent admitted that friends advised him not to do the interview, but he argued that “Joe Rogan is the one guy in the country I wanted to exchange views with in a real dialogue — one that could potentially be among the most important conversations of this entire pandemic.”

Rogan has received a fair amount of criticism for his commentary on vaccines and vaccine mandates. The podcast host recently shared a video that drew a comparison between mandates and Nazi Germany.

Gupta said he tried to ask Rogan about finding a balance between advocacy for personal freedom and recognizing “the unique threat a highly contagious disease represents.”

He did make a point of noting that Rogan’s own studio “prioritizes safety.”

“A nurse was present to perform a rapid Covid test before we began. We were even checked for the presence of antibodies with a finger prick blood test,” Gupta said.

He admitted his attempt to change Rogan’s mind was “futile” but is still glad he did the interview.

“My three-hour-long conversation wasn’t just with Rogan,” Gupta wrote. “If just a few of his listeners were convinced, it will have been well worth it.”