Joe Rogan Slams Journalists — While Mindlessly Regurgitating Trump’s Lies

Few people in American media reach more ears and eyes than Joe Rogan.

The UFC commentator-turned-podcast kingpin has an audience that dwarfs most cable networks. That kind of reach comes with a serious responsibility — one that Rogan routinely sidesteps under the guise of “just having conversations.”

But when you’re repeating misinformation that fuels President Donald Trump’s latest attack on the press, you’re not just chatting anymore; you’re part of the problem. That much was on full display recently when Rogan sat down with Senator Bernie Sanders to talk about Trump’s ongoing war on the press. The conversation was civil, yes — but also painfully revealing about the profound asymmetry between entertainers and journalists in today’s media landscape.

Sanders, who’s spent decades on the receiving end of tough questions, offered a plainspoken warning:

“One of the things that worries me very, very much is this movement toward authoritarianism,” Sanders said. “And going after media, suing media, taking away the authority that Congress has.”

That was too much for Rogan, who immediately jumped in — confident, sure of himself, and completely wrong.

“When you say suing media, are you talking about the CBS lawsuit?” Rogan asked.

“Among other things,” Sanders replied.

“But don’t you think there’s a real issue with what they did? … You don’t think there are real issues in editing conversations to give someone an answer that’s different than what we’ve seen?”

That bit of misinformation came straight from Trump’s social-media feed. The former president — and then Rogan — falsely claimed 60 Minutes had manipulated Kamala Harris’ answers. Never mind that the FCC reviewed the raw footage. Never mind that the “edited” segment was pulled directly from her long-form answer. Never mind that every producer on every serious television program routinely shapes interviews for time.

It’s an astounding moment that precisely defines the current political media landscape: Rogan was harshly critical of the renowned and respected journalistic outlet, 60 Minutes, but was doing so by parroting Trump’s provably false information, and not only did he have no clue about it, but he probably doesn’t care. The once pristine reservoir of journalist purity is being polluted by toxic sludge mongers who care less about the facts and more about clicks.

I’ve explained in great detail that the real bombshell in the FCC material is that CBS News did everything by the book. But none of this matters in the echo chamber of a podcast that prides itself on never doing its homework.

Sanders, ever the adult in the room, was forced to spell it out for him:

“That’s what a free press is about,” Sanders told him. “You don’t like it? You gotta live with it.”

And later, more sharply:

“Suing media has the impact of intimidating media,” Sanders said. “If somebody sues you … you might not want to go into that area.”

That’s exactly what Trump is counting on — and it’s a lesson someone with Rogan’s reach ought to understand.

By the end of the exchange, Rogan had grudgingly agreed that threats to sue reporters are dangerous. But there’s a larger point here. Joe Rogan isn’t just some guy with a microphone anymore. When he repeats unfounded conspiracies to millions of people, it doesn’t matter that he’s “not a journalist.” Influence is influence, whether or not you ever trained for it — and responsibility doesn’t disappear just because you never claimed it.

Neil Postman warned decades ago that we’d end up amusing ourselves to death if we kept treating serious public affairs like entertainment. Watching Rogan amplify Trump’s lies while shrugging off the consequences is proof that Postman’s prophecy has already come true.

It’s not that Rogan doesn’t know better. It’s that he doesn’t have to.

And until that changes, the asymmetry between serious journalists and unserious commentators will only grow — and our democracy will be all the weaker for it.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.