Joe Rogan, widely recognized as the most listened-to podcaster in the United States, commands a staggering weekly audience of approximately twenty million people. His influence in shaping conversations across culture, politics, and media cannot be overstated—yet his repeated vulnerability to online falsehoods reveals a consistent blind spot for digital misinformation. Despite living in an age where visual and textual manipulations are swiftly and publicly debunked, Rogan continues to amplify fabricated content. The most recent case illustrating this tendency emerged when he discussed and appeared to believe yet another false post—this time a counterfeit tweet seemingly attributed to former President Donald Trump.
On his latest podcast episode, Rogan was joined by two guests, Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, both known in Britain for their right-leaning political commentary. Over the course of their dialogue, the trio delved into the recent “No Kings” protests that took place on October 18, demonstrations that drew millions of Americans into the streets in profound opposition to Trump and the growing perception of authoritarianism in his leadership. Rather than acknowledging the scale or genuine civic motivation behind these protests, Rogan attempted to trivialize them, speculating that many attendees had been financially compensated for their participation. Those whom he believed were not paid, he disparaged with the dismissive label of “geriatrics,” implying the events lacked sincere or youthful vigor.
Building upon this perspective, Rogan argued that the very permission for such protests to occur contradicted the idea of Trump as a monarchal figure, reasoning that a true “king” would have suppressed such displays of dissent. It was within this context that Rogan introduced what he believed to be an authentic Trump communication: a fabricated social media post from Truth Social masquerading as a presidential statement. Describing the post aloud, Rogan chuckled, remarking that the alleged tweet—where Trump supposedly congratulated protesters while humorously reaffirming his position as president—was both hilarious and clever. One of his guests responded in kind, claiming familiarity with the same bogus post and laughing in agreement.
When Rogan requested his producer display the tweet on-screen, there was a noticeable moment of confusion. Despite Rogan’s insistence to “try Truth Social” or to search for screenshots circulating online, the post never materialized. The likely reason for this absence was simple: the tweet did not exist in any official form. The counterfeit message, which thanked the “No Kings” protesters for defending Trump’s presidency, was entirely fabricated—a viral hoax that had originally begun circulating months earlier, around June 14, coinciding with the first “No Kings” demonstrations.
During that earlier wave of misinformation, the screenshot proliferated across numerous platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Even Donald Trump Jr. had shared the fake tweet at the time, albeit while conceding that it was not real. Other media figures were less careful: Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo reposted the message in June under the mistaken impression of authenticity. Its reappearance in recent days suggests that such fraudulent content remains resilient, constantly resurfacing within new social media cycles. Yet, despite thorough debunking and the absence of current virality, Rogan nevertheless recirculated it before his massive audience as though it were credible.
Throughout the same episode, Rogan continued to compare the “No Kings” movement to the 2024 presidential campaign of Kamala Harris, making a series of unfounded claims. He alleged that Harris’s campaign events employed participants who were paid to fill stadiums, insinuating that these rallies were orchestrated spectacles rather than spontaneous expressions of public support. In Rogan’s view, this practice constituted deception, something he insisted “should not be legal.” However, there is no evidence to substantiate his assertions. The allegation simply reflected another example of Rogan’s tendency to conflate rumor with reality.
Ironically, Trump’s genuine online engagement with the “No Kings” protests was not the lighthearted praise Rogan described but something even more inflammatory. On Truth Social, the former president in fact shared an AI-generated video dramatizing himself piloting a fighter jet and releasing waste upon the protesters—an image both grotesque and emblematic of his characteristic use of shock value. That Rogan preferred the obviously satirical counterfeit over the actual, more provocative reality only deepens the impression of his credulity.
This pattern of gullibility has followed Rogan for years. Although he commands a massive platform reaching tens of millions of listeners, his consistent failure to discern between authentic news and digital hoaxes has had real-world consequences. From spreading AI-generated clips of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to repeating outrageous claims supposedly sourced from fictional online figures with crude names like “Dick Stroker,” Rogan has repeatedly amplified deceit. His errors reveal not just personal carelessness but a broader cultural vulnerability: a willingness among large segments of the public to accept falsehoods when they confirm existing biases or provide entertainment masquerading as truth.
The irony could not be sharper. America’s most influential podcaster—a figure with unmatched reach—continues to fall prey to, and thereby magnify, the very forms of misinformation that media literacy advocates warn against. The cumulative effect is a damaging erosion of public discernment. As Rogan’s voice echoes across millions of headphones each week, his uncritical repetition of false narratives raises a sobering question about the collective future of American discourse: if even our most prominent commentators cannot or will not tell real from fake, what hope remains for an informed nation? Perhaps, as his segment ended with a rueful tone, the question he left hanging captures the deeper sentiment many feel: are we, as a country, truly capable of navigating this age of endless misinformation?
Sourse: https://gizmodo.com/joe-rogan-fake-trump-truth-social-2000675786
