Joe Rogan has never been shy about his political opinions, but on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience featuring wildlife biologist Forrest Galante, the podcaster made something clear that might catch some listeners off guard: he genuinely loves living in Austin, Texas, a city he openly calls deeply progressive.
During the conversation, Rogan and Galante discussed the culture of Austin and how it compares to the cities Rogan left behind. Rogan was direct about what drew him to the Texas capital and why he sees the city’s political character as something worth celebrating rather than tolerating.
“Austin is like one of the most like liberal, easygoing, progressive cities,” Rogan said, before noting that the progressives there behave differently from those he knew on the coasts. “Even the progressives here, they’re like more reasonable. Way less crazy than like liberals in LA. Or liberals in Cal or liberals in New York.”
When Galante asked how Rogan had adjusted as a transplant from California, Rogan pointed out he had taken only two things from his time in Los Angeles: the Comedy Store and jiujitsu. Both were available in Austin.
“Austin is arguably the jiu-jitsu capital of the world right now,” he said, pointing to gyms including King’s World, B Team, and multiple 10th Planet and Gracie Barra locations across the city. He was equally enthusiastic about the comedy scene, calling Austin “arguably the comedy capital of the country.”
The city’s political balance is something Rogan has clearly given real thought. He brought up a local saying that goes “keep Austin weird and surrounded,” a reference to the city being a blue pocket inside a red state. Rogan said that dynamic works for both sides.
“I think that’s good for everybody. I think that’s good. It’s a balance,” he said. “The liberals that want to turn Texas blue, don’t. You’re going to ruin it. You’re going to ruin it for you too. You don’t get it. Balance is important.”
He reached for a nature analogy to make the point: remove the predators and the ecosystem collapses; remove the prey and the predators starve. Political ecosystems, he argued, work the same way.
His bottom line on Austin was plain. “The Austin balance is a great balance. It’s a liberal city surrounded by like hardcore Republicans with guns and tigers and it works. It makes for nice people.”
After years in Los Angeles and a stint in Colorado, Rogan has found his footing in a city that many outsiders misread. The fact that Austin leans blue does not bother him. As far as he is concerned, that is part of what makes it work.
