Amajor controversy erupted during a live recording of JRE show while interviewing FBI director Kash Patel.
Mid-conversation, Rogan was alerted to a viral social media post from Elon Musk directed at former President Donald Trump. The tech mogul had just published a post on X (formerly Twitter) making an extraordinary claim: “Time to drop the really big bomb. Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
The timing couldn’t have been more striking, as the message appeared while Rogan and Patel were recording their discussion.
“Jesus Christ,” Rogan responded when shown the post, clearly taken aback by the severity of the accusation. “That’s a crazy thing to say. How does he know?”
Rogan immediately distanced himself from the escalating feud between the two prominent figures. “I’m not participating in any of that conversation,” he stated firmly.
The podcast host expressed his reluctance to get involved in what has become an increasingly public dispute between Trump and Musk. “I’m just staying out of the Trump-Elon thing. That’s way out… I know my lane and that ain’t it,” Rogan remarked.
Rogan also offered some perspective on the nature of social media conflicts, suggesting that constant public posting and arguing is “bad for your mental health.”
The exchange between Trump and Musk represents a significant deterioration in what was once considered a friendly relationship. The timing of Musk’s accusation is particularly notable as it references the controversial files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on trafficking charges.
Patel appeared to agree with Rogan’s assessment about social media disputes, noting that “half of what we have to respond to is the click army on social media.”
This unexpected moment during the podcast highlights how even live broadcasts can be interrupted by the real-time nature of social media controversies, especially when they involve high-profile public figures.
Considering the high profile relationships Rogan has to both it will be fascinating to see who he sides with in the coming days. Notoriously libretarian Rogan was nudged by Musk to give his endorsement – which might’ve pushed the needle in the right direction.
Many online commenters were quick to point to this exact viral moment as the reason for why high goverment ranking officials liek Patel should not be doing podcast and should instead be keeping a low profile while running their respective departments.
