Donald Trump interview with Joe Rogan is now live on Youtube
Joe Rogan interviewed former President Donald Trump on Friday, marking the first time that Rogan's popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, featured a former president. The nearly three-hour interview was recorded in Austin, Texas, and published on Rogan's social media channels Friday night.
This comes as Trump has reduced appearances on major television networks, including CBS News, while opting for interviews with podcasters and YouTube shows, such as The Logan Paul Podcast.
The Joe Rogan Experience, the most popular podcast on Spotify, boasts an audience of over 14 million listeners on the platform. Rogan's interviews have featured a wide range of guests, from scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson to entertainers like Post Malone. His audience is 80% male and includes a mix of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, making the podcast a key platform for candidates as they campaign ahead of the November 5 election, according to Edison Research.
"With such a diverse and politically balanced audience, Rogan's show offers candidates an invaluable opportunity to reach key voter groups, especially independents and younger voters," Edison Research noted in a blog post earlier this month.
Here's what you need to know about Rogan, his podcast, and the Trump interview:
Who is Joe Rogan?
Rogan, 57, began his career as a comedian and actor, notably playing Joe Garrelli, an electrician, on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio. He later gained fame as the host of the game show Fear Factor and appeared in TV shows like Silicon Valley and The Man Show. Rogan has also released several comedy specials, including Shiny Happy Jihad in 2007.
When did The Joe Rogan Experience start?
Rogan launched his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, in 2009, and by 2015, it had grown to 11 million listeners. In 2020, Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify, and in 2024, he extended that deal for a reported $250 million over the contract's duration.
When are new episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience released?
The podcast typically pre-records episodes and releases them several days in advance. New episodes are generally published daily at 1 p.m. Eastern Time from Tuesday to Friday, with occasional Saturday releases.
What are Joe Rogan's political views?
Rogan has described himself as not being a conservative and has even called himself a "bleeding heart liberal" during a 2022 episode of his show, according to Variety.
"I'm so far away from being a Republican. Just because I believe in the Second Amendment, and just because I support the military and police, doesn’t mean I'm a Republican," he said.
Rogan has also expressed support for a strong social safety net, sharing that his family relied on welfare when he was a child. His podcast features guests with a broad range of political views, from Senator Bernie Sanders—whom Rogan endorsed in 2020 during Sanders' primary campaign—to conservative activist Christopher Rufo.
As for his stance on Trump, Rogan has expressed mixed feelings, referring to him as a "polarizing figure" and previously claiming he would never host him on his podcast, according to Newsweek.