Sen. Joe Rogan on Friday denied endorsing presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after his glowing praise for the long-shot independent drew condemnation from Donald Trump supporters and criticism from Republican candidates.
The host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” posted a clarification about X after he praised Kennedy for his “politeness” during a recent episode.
“Just to be clear, this is not an endorsement,” the Spotify podcaster wrote to X.
“This is to say that I like RFKjr the person and really appreciate the way he discusses things respectfully and intelligently. I think we need more of that in the world.”
Logan also praised Trump’s response after the July 13 assassination attempt, but did not endorse the Republican candidate.
“I also think that when Trump raised his fist and said ‘Fight!’ after getting shot, it was one of the most American acts of all time,” he wrote.
“I’m not the kind of person to get political information from.”
Logan caused uproar among Trump supporters on Thursday when he made comments that seemed to throw his size and support behind Kennedy.
“That’s politics. The left and the right do it. They gaslight you. They manipulate you. They push a narrative,” Rogan said on the podcast.
“The only one who hasn’t is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and I’m a fan of his. [of RFK Jr]He is the only person who makes sense to me. He doesn’t attack people. He attacks actions and ideas. He is much more rational and intelligent.”
President Trump posted the following message on his Truth Social platform on Friday: “It’ll be interesting to see how loudly Joe Rogan gets booed the next time he steps into the UFC ring???”
“MAGA 2024,” Trump wrote.
Rogan also serves as a commentator for UFC fights, and Trump is a frequent guest at UFC events, where fans greet him with standing ovations.
At one event, Trump and Rogan were seen shaking hands.
Many pro-Trump social media users slammed Rogan for endorsing Kennedy.
X user with the handle name “Catturd” Logan is “The same damn idiot who supported Bernie Sanders.”
“He’s the podcast version of a dumb blonde woman joke,” the X Account creator wrote.
But other Trump supporters also defended Rogan, including The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, who wrote that “right-wing accounts attacking and dissing RFK Jr. for saying something nice about him are acting foolishly at best.”
“You shouldn’t attack someone who has been, is, and may continue to be a great asset to you and your movement simply because he didn’t support Trump.”
Rogan, whose overwhelmingly right-leaning male audience of several million people is a long-time critic of Trump.
Last year, he was reported to have repeatedly declined requests from Trump to be interviewed for a podcast.
In 2022, Rogan told podcaster Rex Friedman, “I’m not a Trump supporter in any sense of the word.”
“I had the opportunity to invite him on my show more than once,” Logan said.
“I’ve said no every time. I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.”
That same year, Rogan called Trump a “baby boy” and speculated that he was using Adderall.
Rogan has courted controversy in the past for questioning the effectiveness of COVID vaccines and featuring guests who have expressed critical views of the transgender movement.
Spotify has resisted calls to cut ties with Rogan, who earns millions of dollars a year and is one of the platform’s biggest draws.
