In episode 2493 of the Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan and his guests moved through a conversation that included pointed criticisms of the Trump administration and the federal government.
Speaking about unidentified federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement, Rogan expressed unease about the precedent being set. “I know, but it sets such a crazy precedent,” he said. “Yeah, I understand you want the undocumented crim inals out of the country. I agree. However, you’re setting a precedent for militarized people with seven weeks training to be walking around with weapons of war and flack jackets with no ID and masks on. That’s all I’m saying. Like this is a slippery slope you’re going down.”
The conversation later turned to the FBI arresting former FBI Director James Comey over a social media post featuring seashells arranged to read “8647.”
Rogan questioned the reasoning behind the move. “It just doesn’t seem like it should be there,” he said. “It seems like there should be other reasons. Like if the guy really was dirty, you should have something on him other than this seashell picture.”
Normand agreed and added, “Trump could take a sh ot, but not a joke.”
Rogan also brought up concerns about the reauthorization of FISA. “Hey, what is that really gross bill that they just passed, what is that FISA bill that they just passed, Jamie?” he asked.
After learning it involved warrantless surveillance of private communications, his reaction was direct: “Oh, I don’t like that.”
On the political system, Rogan offered a critique of the forces surrounding those in power. “You’re not going to get all good with any president either, you know,” he said. “You’re going to get a lot of bad stuff because all these people are surrounded by demons. They’re surrounded by war hawks and demons and defense contractors and scam artists in the pharma industry. There’s all these people that are trying to make sure that they can make the most amount of money possible. Just all coke snorting demons, allegedly.”
The group also spent time discussing the American healthcare system. Rogan pointed out that universal healthcare in the United States could cost approximately 3.0 to 3.2 trillion dollars annually, less than the current system, which he noted sits at around 5.3 trillion dollars per yea.
Rogan suggested potential savings of roughly 450 billion dollars while covering all Americans.
“How come we can’t get free healthcare? Why don’t we do that?” guest Shane Gillis said.
Rogan stated, “I bet if they took all the money from fraud, it would pay for healthcare 10 times more.”
Gillis linked those issues to financial incentives driving policy decisions. “That’s where we’re at as a country,” Rogan said. “It’s the same reason we’re doing wars. Just to make money. Not even just oil, but defense contracts. They need it.”
Despite the criticisms, Rogan’s views weren’t strictly one-sided. He acknowledged areas where he felt Trump had taken positive steps, including efforts to lower pharma d**g prices internationally and progress on psychedelic therapy for veterans.
