Joe Rogan Confronted By His Own Guest for Giving ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Fringe’ Voices a Platform: ‘It’s Weird!’

Joe Rogan faced a rare role reversal on The Joe Rogan Experience as guest Douglas Murray, a conservative British journalist, called him out directly for routinely platforming “fringe” commentators to speak about ongoing conflicts involving Israel and Ukraine during Thursday’s episode.

The exchange — which lasted roughly 40 minutes — was one of the most contentious segments Rogan’s show has seen in a while. Murray, who has been vocal in his support for both Ukraine and Israel, pressed Rogan repeatedly on whether his guest list has favored critics of both efforts — accusing some guests of peddling conspiracies or amateur historical analysis.

“Can I ask you something?” Murray began. “Since the war in Ukraine began, and the war in Israel began, you’ve had quite a lot of people who are very against both, in different ways. Do you think you’ve had enough people who are supportive of either war?”

Rogan deflected, initially resisting the premise.

“I don’t know that word, ‘enough,’ if that’s a good word,” he said.

“Let’s say enough people who are on the side of Israel instead of wild critics,” Murray replied.

After listing several pro-Israel guests, including Jordan Peterson and Gaad Saad, Rogan admitted: “Yeah, probably, more tilted towards the idea that perhaps the way they’ve done it is barbaric.”

But Murray pressed on: “Why do you think that is just out of interest? I’m just interested in your selection of guests because you’re like the world’s No. 1 podcast.”

“I don’t think about it that way,” Rogan replied. “I just think, ‘I’d like to talk to this person.'”

Murray then flagged Rogan’s interview with conspiracy theorist Ian Carroll.

“Can I just… it’s your show,” Murray replied. “But, sure, if you’re going to interview historians of the conflict or historians in general, why would you get somebody like Ian Carroll?”

“I didn’t bring him on for that purpose, I brought him on because I wanted to find out, how does one get involved in the entire conspiracy theory business?” Rogan said. “Because his whole thing is just conspiracies.”

“But do you have any – I mean, there’s been a tilt in the conversation, both conversations, in the last couple of years. And it’s largely to do with people who have appointed themselves as experts, who are not experts,” Murray countered.

He then dragged in another Rogan guest: Darryl Cooper, who infamously labeled British WWII prime minister Winston Churchill “the chief villain of World War II” in a take that aired previously on Tucker Carlson’s podcast that he echoed on Rogan’s show.

“It’s pretty hard to listen to somebody who says, ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about, but now I’m going to talk,’ or: ‘I don’t know about this,’ or: ‘I’m not capable of debating this historian, but I’m just going to tell you what I think,'” he pressed as Rogan and fellow guest Dave Smith attempted to defend Cooper.

Smith suggested that Cooper’s goal was to explain his view in long-form conversations rather than soundbites. But Murray wasn’t impressed.

“But if you throw a lot of shit out there, there’s some point at which ‘I’m just raising questions’ is not a valid thing. You’re not raising questions. You’re not asking questions. You’re telling people something,” he said.

“I’m not interested in the alternative views on this. And particularly when it’s a counter narrative that is wildly off,” Murray said.

Addressing Rogan, he added: “Look, I just feel we should get it out straight-away. I feel you’ve opened the door to quite a lot of people who’ve now got a big platform who have been throwing out counter historical stuff of a very dangerous kind.”

Watch above via YouTube.