Speculation is mounting over whether Joe Rogan, America's most influential podcaster, has turned against Donald Trump's presidency after he compared recent US immigration raids to the tactics of the Gestapo.
The Gestapo Remark That Turned Heads
During a nearly three-hour episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released on Tuesday 14 September 2024, Rogan voiced deep unease with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The conversation with Republican Senator Rand Paul centred on the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month. Good, a volunteer legal observer, was shot by an ICE agent during an altercation.
"Are we really going to be the Gestapo? 'Where's your papers?' Is that what we've come to?" Rogan asked, expressing frustration with the political debate. His comments, made from a studio in Las Vegas, Nevada, have been interpreted by outlets like CNN and The Hill as a significant break from Trump, whom Rogan endorsed for the 2024 election.
A Nuanced Position from a Political Bellwether
Rogan's views, however, presented a more complicated picture than the headline-grabbing Gestapo analogy. He described himself as able to "see both perspectives" in the heated immigration debate. He outlined the conservative view that deportations are necessary to prevent acceleration of illegal immigration, while also acknowledging progressive fears of "militarised people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up."
This ambivalence is precisely why political observers track Rogan so closely. With the biggest podcast in the United States, his sway over a vast, young, male audience is immense. His endorsements—for Bernie Sanders in 2020 and Trump in 2024—carry weight comparable to traditional political backing. He is often seen as an avatar for millions of politically fluid, centrist Americans, a swing voter whose shifts can signal broader ideological changes.
A Growing Chorus of Discontent Among Influencers
Rogan is not alone in expressing doubts. Since last year, several prominent male comedy and talk-show podcasters who previously backed Trump have walked back their support, including Theo Von and Andrew Schulz. Immigration policies have been a key point of alienation.
In March, Rogan criticised the deportation of a gay asylum-seeking hairdresser, calling it "fucking crazy." In September, Theo Von discovered his image was used in a Department of Homeland Security video without his consent, leading him to request its removal and state his views on immigration were "more nuanced."
Even right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson has criticised the Trump administration's response to Good's death, asking why few conservatives were viewing the story "through a human lens."
While discussing the Minneapolis case with Senator Paul, Rogan pushed back on the idea that sanctuary cities were entirely to blame, stating most liberals favour deporting serious criminals. Yet, he also seemed to agree with Paul's broader point about non-cooperation, citing the example of the Tren de Aragua gang taking over buildings in Aurora, Colorado.
The episode underscores a growing tension within the coalition that supports Trump's hardline stance, as high-profile voices begin to question the human cost and implementation of immigration enforcement, potentially foreshadowing a wider political shift.
