Joe Rogan has voiced strong criticism against Donald Trump’s tentative intentions to engage in military action with Venezuela.
Rogan, who initially supported Trump last year but has since become disillusioned, expressed to comedian Shane Gillis that initiating any form of war with Venezuela is ‘a terrible idea’.
The conversation with Gillis, 38, was pre-recorded and aired on Christmas.
Comedian and former SNL cast member Shane Gillis questioned if the U.S. was already in conflict with Venezuela, referencing the latest news developments.
In response to the rising tensions, the United States has deployed significant military forces and special operations aircraft to the region this week.
Rogan, appearing weary and exasperated, remarked, ‘I don’t think anyone is really going to back that plan.’
He continued, emphasizing his point with a deep sigh, ‘It would be a terrible idea,’ reinforcing his stance against the prospect of war.
‘Obviously he doesn’t give a f**k,’ Gillis – a former SNL star who did not vote for Trump during last year’s election – chimed in.
Joe Roganbrushed off Donald Trump’s plans to pursue open conflict with Venezuela on his podcast this week
Trump defended a recent US buildup in the region during a press conference Monday. Rogan, 58, said any type of conflict between the two countries ‘would be a terrible idea’
The two proceeded to poke fun at the president’s newly installed wall plaques that took aim at Joe Biden and Barack Obama before turning to a December 19 report from The Guardian that a producer pulled up.
The headline – which Rogan read out – stated that Trump and his top aides have ‘refuse[d] to rule out war with Venezuela’ at that point, which has not changed.
‘All right. That’s fair. That’s fair,’ Gillis said.
Rogan, continuing reading, noted how Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro had urged his navy to escort oil tankers in direct defiance of a US fleet that’s been in the region for decades.
The US has continued to carry out a series of increasingly aggressive measures against Venezuela over the past several months.
Officials have seized oil tankers and killed dozens in various military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats.
Trump defended a recent US buildup in the region during a press conference Monday. He has long floated the idea of ‘a military option’ to address Venezuela’s autocratic regime.
He also announced that the US Navy will spend billions of taxpayer dollars per ship to build a new class of warships named after him, despite many conservatives opposing a conflict overseas.
Rogan made the remarks to fellow ‘manosphere’ comic Shane Gillis
He said it would be ‘smart’ for Maduro – widely considered a dictator – to step down.
Rogan endorsed Trump late last year but has broken with the president in recent months.
He has slammed the administration’s tariffs on Canada as ‘ridiculous’ and called its deportation policies ‘horrific.’
The clashes started in March, when Rogan used his podcast to rant about Trump imposing tariffs on Canada and his desire to make Canada the 51st state.
‘I can’t believe there is anti-American, anti-Canadian sentiment going on. It’s the dumbest f***ing feud,’ Rogan said during the March 14 episode.
‘I just want America and Canada to get along, I think it’s ridiculous. And I don’t think they should be our 51st state.’
A week later, Rogan took things a step further, slamming Trump’s approach to the mass deportation of immigrants, after reports emerged that innocent people had been mistakenly rounded up and thrown into maximum security prisons in El Salvador alongside gang members and criminals.
‘You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to, like, El Salvador prisons,’ Rogan said at the time.
Rogan endorsed Trump late last year but has broken ranks with the president in recent months
‘This is kind of crazy that that could be possible. That’s horrific. And that’s, again, that’s bad for the cause.’
The recent clashes are a sharp contrast to the two men’s cozy alliance in the days leading up to the election, when Rogan welcomed both Trump and his former ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk onto his podcast.
Rogan was among the leading voices to back Trump during the 2024 election, along with fellow ‘manosphere’ comics Andrew Schulz and Tim Dillon.
All three have come to regret their endorsements, after a year of seeing the conservative’s policies in action.
