Podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan seemingly endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president, but after drawing anger and scorn from the MAGA faithful, he quickly tried to backtrack.
Rogan made the initial show of support for RFK Jr. on Thursday on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, attacking both Republicans and Democrats.
“They gaslight you, they manipulate you, they promote narratives, and the only one who is not doing that is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Rogan said, adding that Kennedy is “the only one that makes sense to me.”
“He’s the only one that—he doesn’t attack people, he attacks actions and ideas, but he’s much more reasonable and intelligent,” Rogan said. “I mean, the guy was an environmental attorney and he cleaned up the East River. He’s a legitimate guy.”
HAPPENING NOW: Right-wing X is shredding Joe Rogan for "endorsing" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his podcast.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 9, 2024
The claim: Joe Rogan endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president.
What Rogan said: "That's politics. They do it on the left. They do it on the right. They gaslight… pic.twitter.com/vkmd4zFBdd
Trump’s fans weren’t happy. Right-wing influencer johnny maga called the news “sad,” while fellow influencer Catturd attacked Rogan, calling him “the podcast Equivalent of a dumb blonde joke.”
Rogan was joined by right-wing podcaster Tim Pool, who initially posted on X that he was supporting Kennedy too. Later, though, both Rogan and Pool backtracked, with Pool claiming that he was trolling, and Rogan later claiming that his words weren’t an endorsement. But that was too late for Kennedy himself, who posted messages of appreciation to both Rogan and Pool.
The confusing messages from Pool and Rogan follow white supremacist Nick Fuentes’s rejection of Trump’s campaign earlier on Friday. The far-right Nazi sympathizer said that the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign was headed for a “catastrophic loss” and “declared a new Groyper War against the Trump campaign,” referring to his movement of white nationalist trolls.
Wherever Pool, Rogan, and Fuentes stand, they are very influential on the far right, which Trump depends on as a support base. Far-right movements and individuals could cause a lot of problems before and after November’s elections, but the question is whether they’ll be on Trump’s side or redirect their efforts elsewhere.
