Spotify has faced controversy over Joe Rogan's past use of the N word and accusations of broadcast misinformation about Covid-19
Spotify has faced controversy over Joe Rogan's past use of the N word and accusations of broadcast misinformation about Covid-19

Podcast host Joe Rogan said that he rejected Donald Trump's multiple requests to appear on his show. Rogan said that he did not want to be seen as assisting Trump and that he considered the ex-president a danger to democracy.

In an interview Monday with fellow podcaster Lex Fridman, the host of Spotify’s most popular podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," revealed that Trump had requested on more than one occasion to appear on his show. Rogan, who has hosted appearances with high-profile individuals in the past, turned him down.

"I’m not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form. I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once — I’ve said no, every time. I don’t want to help him. I'm not interested in helping him," Rogan explained.

Rogan described Trump as a "polarizing figure" who caused “so many people to abandon their own ethics and morals" to attack either him or his supporters because they were considered an “existential threat to democracy itself.”

Rogan’s political views are not easily categorized. In 2020, the host endorsed Bernie Sanders for president and described himself as “left on everything.” Despite endorsing Sanders two years ago, Rogan recently revealed he was in favor of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, running for president in 2024.

Rogan has also inspired outrage for his comments about transgenders, his use of racially offensive language, and his skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines. He has issued public apologies in response to controversies generated by these incidents.

Pressed by Fridman on whether he thought Trump had a chance of winning a re-election bid, however, Rogan said that he believed it was possible for him to defeat President Joe Biden in a rematch.