Joe Rogan, host of one of the world’s most popular podcasts, has accused President Donald Trump of initiating military action in Iran as a deliberate distraction from the recently released Epstein files. Rogan made the claim on the Wednesday episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, suggesting the timing of the conflict was no coincidence.
During the episode, Rogan and guest Arsenio Hall discussed the concept of misdirection in American politics. Rogan pointed to historical precedents, alleging that former President Bill Clinton bombed Yugoslavia in 1999 to divert attention from the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He then drew a parallel to the current situation, stating, “Look, the Epstein files come out — we go to war with Iran. It’s a good way to get people to stop talking about certain things.”
Rogan’s criticism of Trump has intensified since the launch of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. On his March 11 podcast, he expressed alarm over the potential for global escalation, warning that the conflict could drag the world into a third world war. He also questioned Trump’s decision-making at 79 years old, saying, “You’re making decisions for babies and children and the future of the world, and you’ve only got 10, maybe 10 years left on Earth if everything goes great.”
The podcaster, who endorsed Trump in 2024, now claims that many of the president’s supporters feel betrayed by the war. He highlighted Trump’s campaign promises to end senseless conflicts, noting on in a March episode, “He ran on ‘no more wars,’ ‘end these stupid, senseless wars,’ and then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it.”
Rogan has also taken aim at Trump’s MAGA base, calling them “a bunch of f****** dorks” on March 26. He criticized the movement for including what he described as “crackpot Christian nationalists” who support the Iran war as a means to fulfill Biblical prophecies. Rogan rejected the “Make America Great Again” slogan outright, proposing instead a call to make America “greater.”
Trump’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein, detailed in the recently unsealed files, has fueled public scrutiny, though the president has not been charged with any related crimes. He has maintained that he severed ties with Epstein well before the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Polling data, however, indicates that Trump’s core MAGA supporters remain firmly behind his decision to engage in Iran. The divide between Rogan’s moderate Republican listeners and the president’s base underscores a growing rift within conservative circles as the conflict unfolds.
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