Podcast host Joe Rogan, who backed President Trump in the 2024 election, used unusually blunt language this week to describe the president’s base, calling them “f*cking nuts” and “rabid” during a conversation with comedian Ron White.
The remarks came as the pair discussed the MAGA backlash against country singer Jelly Roll, who took shots at Mr. Trump while guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in late August. Mr. Rogan defended the singer, calling the criticism directed at him overblown, and pivoted to a broader critique of Mr. Trump’s supporters, saying “they’re rabid” and that “he represents something other than just a person to them.”
Mr. Rogan went on to argue that many voters look to Mr. Trump as a leader who will “save us,” a framing he cast as a broader problem with how society elevates political figures. White, for his part, connected the sentiment to economic desperation, suggesting that voters without education or opportunity gravitate toward whoever promises them hope, whether that’s Mr. Trump or Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Mr. Rogan sat down with Mr. Trump for a lengthy interview during the 2024 campaign. A similar interview with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was discussed but never arranged. Mr. Rogan’s platform, and the broader podcast “manosphere,” has been widely credited with helping Mr. Trump make gains among young male voters, a demographic that shifted substantially toward Republicans compared with 2020.
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