Podcast host Joe Rogan took aim at President Donald Trump again on Friday — this time questioning Trump’s fiery rhetoric at the memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. But even as Rogan called Trump “a nut,” he admitted the President’s toughness may be what saved him from years of political persecution.
During The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan told journalist Mariana van Zeller he disagreed with Trump’s remark that he “hates his opponent and doesn’t want the best for them.” Rogan said flatly, “I don’t agree with any of that. He’s a nut — but that’s also the only way that guy survived what he went through. They tried to throw him in jail. They tried to destroy him with the fake Russia collusion hoax. You’ve got to be a little crazy to take that kind of fire and keep fighting.”
Trump’s Passion Sparks Debate
The comments follow Trump’s powerful speech last month honoring Charlie Kirk, who was tragically shot and killed during a campus Q&A at Utah Valley University on September 10. At the memorial, Trump vowed to keep fighting the radical Left — a message that resonated deeply with his base but drew criticism from liberal media outlets.
Meanwhile, Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, offered a message of grace: “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer from the Gospel is love — love for our enemies and those who persecute us.” Her words struck a spiritual tone that even Rogan echoed later in the show.
Rogan’s Mixed Take on Trump
While Rogan has supported Trump’s 2024 campaign, he has occasionally criticized specific policies, including ICE raids. “When you arrest parents in front of their kids — people who’ve been here for decades — that doesn’t sit right,” Rogan said in an earlier episode. Still, Rogan acknowledged Trump’s resilience and ability to thrive despite nonstop political warfare.
“Any kind of violence is the worst thing we can do to each other,” Rogan said Friday. “We need another Martin Luther King — someone who preaches nonviolence, even when it’s hard. The only way to counter hate is love.”
Trump’s Warning to America
President Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t backed down. Speaking to military leaders in Virginia last month, he warned, “America is under invasion from within — more dangerous than any foreign enemy because they don’t wear uniforms. At least when they do, you can take them out.”
That statement, like Rogan’s podcast, lit up social media — proving once again that Trump remains the central figure in America’s political and cultural battle for the nation’s future.