Podcaster Joe Rogan pushed his listeners to “vote Republican” while taking Democratic Party leaders to task over their policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comedian slammed COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictive measures during a discussion with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers on an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” released last Saturday.
Rogan and Rodgers each pointed to measures taken in some Democrat-led states to limit outdoor dining and beach access as COVID-19 cases surged as an example of missteps — with the latter referencing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s infamous outing at the French Laundry restaurant even as the state implemented restrictions.
“I hope there’s lessons learned in this because this is a new thing,” Rogan said. “We had never had this before. No one that was alive today had ever experienced a true pandemic and I’m hoping that now that this is over, people are going to recognize that some serious errors were made and not repeat those.”
“As far as compensation for all of those people that were forced to close their businesses and keep their doors shuttered and lost everything they had worked for decades to build — no, they’re just going to be angry.”
“So what do you tell those people?” Rodgers asked.
“Vote Republican,” a laughing Rogan responded. “That’s what a lot of them are going to do anything.”
Mediaite earlier reported on Rogan’s remarks.
Both Rogan and Rodgers have faced backlash over the last year for their outspoken skepticism regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Rogan’s critical remarks about the COVID-19 vaccine notably sparked calls for a boycott of Spotify by those who accused him of spreading misinformation.
Meanwhile, Rodgers triggered outrage after telling reporters during the 2021 NFL season that he was “immunized” against COVID-19 — only to later admit that he was unvaccinated after testing positive for the virus and being forced to sit out a game.
Rogan continued with his point, citing Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as an example of a politician who, in his view, had taken the right approach to handling the pandemic.
The podcast host, who moved to Texas from California in 2020, referenced an Associated Press article noting that 1 million voters across 43 states had switched allegiance to the Republican Party over the previous year.
“You look at guys like Ron DeSantis, who kept Florida open and had some pretty reasonable policies in terms of what to do about COVID,” Rogan said. “He mapped it out on television. He was widely criticized for this.”
Rogan expressed support for DeSantis as a potential 2024 presidential candidate in June, asserting the Florida governor “would work as a good president” and citing his COVID-19 policies.
“What he’s done for Florida has been admirable,” Rogan said.
At the same time, Rogan has been critical of former President Donald Trump, referring to him in July as a “man baby.”
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
