Joe Rogan Claims Multiple US Presidents Directly Contacted Spotify in an Effort to Get His Show Taken Down

Joe Rogan claimed multiple former presidents attempted behind the scenes to get his podcast removed from Spotify for spreading “vaccine misinformation.”

Rogan was joined by author Chase Hughes on Wednesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, and during a conversation about the podcast and critics, Rogan revealed he lost a lot of sponsors during the Covid-19 pandemic, and there were expensive efforts from groups trying to de-platform his show.

“It was almost easy for me because I’d gotten such a headstart,” Rogan said about his show during the pandemic.

Rogan’s talk about Covid vaccines and his criticism of lockdowns and health experts led to plenty of blowback from critics. The podcaster accused CNN of turning him “green” in a controversial video that led to the outlet being accused of manipulating an Instagram video in 2021 to make Rogan look more sickly. CNN denied any alterations, and an analysis found no manipulation.

In the video, Rogan discussed getting Covid and fighting it off with a cocktail of drugs, including ivermectin.

Around the time of the CNN controversy, Rogan said PACs and other groups were contacting sponsors and Spotify to derail his show.

“Thank God I was on Spotify and thank God Spotify is not an American company. And also it helped that I was number one in, like, 90 countries and not number 90 in one country, you know? That helped. That helped a lot,” he said.

Rogan also said former presidents were involved, a claim he’s referenced on the podcast.

“I can’t even talk about it but there was presidents involved and former presidents involved that were contacting Spotify. Oh yeah. Trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation. Yeah. And it turned out to be right. All of it. Not a single [person] apologized,” he said.

Rogan added that he usually avoids the subject because it goes “deep” for him.

“It was nuts, but it didn’t work. But they tried. They spent a lot of money, a loooot of money,” he said.

Watch above via The Joe Rogan Experience (clip begins at 2:14).

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!