The impending election can change a lot of things for America, and amidst all the buzz, it happened! Donald Trump appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, naturally breaking the internet. This conversation has sparked a whirlwind of reactions, but prior to his visit, some statements were being taken out of context.
One notable point of contention is when Rogan referred to Trump as an “existential threat to democracy itself,” in 2022. This phrasing has caught the attention of many, leading to debates about its implications. However, it’s essential to dive deeper and know the full context. What exactly was said, here is the full story.
Did Joe Rogan Call Donald Trump an “Existential Threat to Democracy”?
There always was a lot of chatter about whether Donald Trump would ever make an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience for quite some time. Back in 2022, Rogan discussed the possibility of hosting Trump during a conversation with Lex Fridman, but his comments were wildly misinterpreted.
An X post from July 5, 2022, by Occupy Democrats claimed that Rogan referred to Trump as an “existential threat to democracy itself” and said he was “not interested in helping him.” This ignited a firestorm of debate, prompting many to chime in on the issue afterward.
Although those were the words he used, they don’t capture the full context of the situation. Here’s what really happened, during his conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman, Rogan shared his thoughts on life in the U.S. following the Trump presidency. He speculated on how future generations might perceive Trump, suggesting that people may find it puzzling to see the criticisms directed at the former president. He said,
It’s already a weird time, you know, post-Trump. Like, the Trump era is also going to be one of the weirder times when people look back historically about the division in this country, He’s such a polarizing figure that so many people felt like they could abandon their own ethics and morals and principles just to attack him and anybody who supports him because he is an existential threat to democracy itself.
It is clear that Rogan was focused on Trump’s critics, making it evident that he doesn’t perceive Trump as an existential threat to democracy. Instead, his comments seemed more aligned with reflecting on the opinions and concerns of those who oppose Trump rather than expressing his own beliefs about the former president’s impact. But he did make it clear that he wouldn’t be inviting Trump on his podcast anytime soon, he wasn’t interested.
A Recap of Donald Trump’s Podcast Episode with Joe Rogan
Cut to two years later, and Donald Trump is in the Joe Rogan Experience podcast hot seat! In this extensive and lively discussion, the former president literally covers everything under the sun.
Trump in his usual element, made some bold claims during his chat with Rogan, insisting that Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if he were still in charge as president. Furthermore, expanding on his views on extraterrestrial life, he mentioned he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of life in space.
He also spilled the beans on some folks at NBC who tried to persuade him not to run for president to keep his show, The Apprentice. When pressed about his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, Trump responded,
We’ll do it another time. I would bring in papers that you would not believe, so many different papers. That election was so crooked, it was the most crooked.
He also claimed that Democrats “used Covid to cheat.” Moreover, Trump also obviously wasted no time in taking jabs at his political rivals, labeling Vice President Kamala Harris a “very low IQ person” and slamming California Governor Gavin Newsom as “one of the worst governors in the world.”
On a more positive note, he had high praise for Elon Musk, who has appeared on Rogan’s show in the past, calling him “the greatest guy.” Trump even reminisced about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, claiming they got to know each other “very well” despite their rocky start. He humorously recalled telling the leader, “Little Rocket Man, you’re going to burn in hell,”.
When it came to his health, Trump boasted about a recent physical, though he didn’t share in any medical reports when Harris flaunted hers a while back. He shared that doctors were amazed by his ability to run on a steep treadmill, describing it as “unbelievable.” The podcast was truly what fans expected it to be and more!
Watch the full episode above,
