Joe Rogan has sounded an alarm about the growing threat of a “genuine civil war” in the United States, citing a troubling rise in political violence and instances where ordinary citizens are applauding hate crimes.
During his podcast on Tuesday, Rogan shared his concerns with guest Brian Redban, particularly in light of the recent death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“When Charlie Kirk gets shot and people are celebrating, it’s alarming,” Rogan remarked. “Do we really want people to die simply because they hold different views?”
Prior to Kirk’s tragic death, Rogan would have rated the country’s trajectory toward civil unrest as a “four or five” on a scale from one to civil war. However, the intense public reaction has prompted him to reconsider.
“We might actually be at a seven now,” Rogan observed. “This could be step seven on the road to a legitimate civil war.”
He further noted, “When everyday people start rejoicing over someone being murdered in front of their family on live television, it signals a deeply troubling direction for our society.”
Kirk was shot dead while debating students at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested and charged over the shooting.
Police allegedly found anti-fascist messages engraved on the bullets used.
Joe Rogan has warned the United States is on a path toward a ‘bona fide civil war’ amid a surge in political violence and ‘regular people’ celebrating hate crimes
He said prior to father-of-two Kirk’s death, he would have placed America at ‘a four or five’ on a ‘one to civil war’ scale, but the overwhelming public reaction had him reassessing that
Kirk was shot dead while debating students at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested and charged over the shooting
And back in June, state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot to death in their home, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in what the Justice Department called the shooter’s ‘calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families.’
In April, Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence was firebombed in yet another act of political violence.
‘It gets scary when there’s like hardcore ideological conflict, because people push back,’ Rogan said.
Following Kirk’s death, conservatives began tracking down liberals who had celebrated the assassination online, alerting their places of work and demanding they face consequences.
The visas of at least six foreigners were revoked after their social media posts were reviewed and determined to be celebrating the assassination.
‘Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed,’ the State Department said at the time.
Vice President JD Vance and other top US officials have encouraged people to call out offensive language about Kirk that they see online.
In an unusual post to X last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau asked social media users to copy him on any relevant posts, saying he was personally ‘disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.’
According to an Associated Press study conducted last month, just four in 10 U.S. adults are concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals
In April, Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence was firebombed in yet another act of political violence
According to an Associated Press study conducted last month, just four in 10 U.S. adults are concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals.
But the data found anxiety about violence on either side of the political spectrum is lower among young adults.
About half of adults age 60 and older are highly concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals, compared with about 3 in 10 adults under 30.
There’s also a substantial partisan divide, with Republicans and Democrats expressing high concern about violence against their own side — and fewer saying they’re worried about violence against the other side.
The poll found that 44 percent of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about political violence directed at conservative political figures or organizations.
A similar percentage, 41 percent, are concerned about violence directed at liberal figures and groups.
