Podcaster Joe Rogan criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war in Iran, saying the president was tricked into the move.
Speaking on the latest episode of his Joe Rogan Experience with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, Rogan said he felt Trump was likely not being given the full picture of the conflict in the Middle East, following reporting from NBC News that the president was being shown daily video montages.
“Yeah, of course he’s not. … And of course, the people that tricked him into doing this in the first place don’t want him to get a full nuanced perspective of the war,” Rogan said. “I mean, nobody thinks it’s a good idea.
“That’s the world we’re living in. It’s a TikTok president, or a TikTok briefing for the president,” Rogan added about the videos.
Why It Matters
Rogan, among the world’s podcasters with the most listeners, has largely shown support for Trump, but he has also not been afraid to criticize him or his MAGA movement. The Iran war has divided the president’s supporters, with those who have subscribed to his “America first” agenda being vocal in their opposition to starting a new conflict in the Middle East.
What To Know
The discussion came about from concerns Rogan said he had about potentially fake videos and photos from the conflict, which he said were being shared to forward a particular agenda, or spread fake information, making it difficult to know what was happening in Iran.
Jarecki said this was likely happening for Trump, per the reported daily video montages, adding that the president was “drinking his owl Kool-Aid.”
“He would rather watch it than read it,” the filmmaker said, clarifying that they were not necessarily fake videos but they were only the things Trump wanted to see. NBC had reported the montage showed the most successful strikes over the past few days.
While the outlet said this was not the only briefing the president was getting on the conflict, Rogan said a nuanced rundown of the latest events would be necessary.
Rogan has previously criticized Trump following his decision to strike Iran alongside Israel, saying the operation contradicted his pro-peace campaign during the 2024 presidential election.
Elsewhere Friday, former White House adviser Steve Bannon said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that the U.S. was likely at the beginning of a wider conflict, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted the U.S. could reach its goals in Iran without troops on the ground.
What People Are Saying
Bannon, speaking at CPAC Friday: “We’re in the middle of a war right now, or let me say, probably the start of a war. The decision in going forward is obviously the commander in chief’s, but he’s got to have, people have to have his back. And you’re only going to do that with full information. You have to be convinced that this is the right thing to do, particularly now that we’re on the eve of, potentially, the insertion of American combat troops. Your sons, daughters, granddaughters, grandsons.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding to the NBC News reporting: “That’s an absolutely false assertion coming from someone who has not been present in the room. Anyone who has been present for conversations with President Trump knows he actively seeks and solicits the opinions of everyone in the room and expects full throated honesty from all of his top advisors.”
Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee, in a letter Friday: “We are deeply troubled by the lack of transparency from the Trump Administration and the Department of Defense and its failure to keep the Congress and the American people informed. We remain concerned by the ever-shifting strategic and operational objectives of the conflict and lack of clarity regarding the possible use of U.S. ground forces in the region.”
What Happens Next
The Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee asked for an immediate hearing with the Department of Defense on the ongoing actions in Iran. Trump on Friday promised more updates on the conflict and its impacts.
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