On Tuesday, podcaster Joe Rogan claimed that two unnamed former presidents took part in protests against those who challenged discussions about Covid-19.
Back in 2022, Spotify faced backlash after Rogan, one of its top stars, allowed progressive critics to express what they deemed misinformation regarding the pandemic. Musician Neil Young pulled his content from Spotify to protest Rogan’s statements, expressing a desire not to share the platform with him.
“And then, out of nowhere, Neil Young wanted to remove me from Spotify. What’s going on?” Rogan questioned during his conversation on Tuesday.
Jen Psaki, who was the White House Press Secretary at the time, addressed the controversy head-on. After Spotify announced it would label a podcast discussing Covid-19, Psaki commented, “This disclaimer is a positive step, but we want all platforms to continue to encourage accurate information and counter misinformation.”
“We hope that all major tech platforms and news sources take responsibility in ensuring that Americans have access to accurate information about important issues like Covid-19,” she added.
However, Rogan remarked, “Instead of silencing or tiring out listeners, I gained 2 million subscribers a month.” He noted that people began tuning in, saying, “Yeah, he’s pretty rational and humble; he’s just asking questions.”
Rogan also criticized how the media portrayed Covid-19, particularly in relation to Ivermectin, which was often dismissed as simply a horse dewormer.
“I was thinking, ‘Why aren’t you focusing on the fact that a 55-year-old man is recovering successfully during tough times?'” he reflected, recalling how he felt fine after three days during a Delta variant surge.
He described the entire situation as a “wake-up call” that made him more aware of what he called the “dirty business” of liberal legacy media. “I once had great respect for journalists. If I hadn’t done this podcast, I might have just echoed the usual lines and news narratives,” he stated.
With a laugh, Rogan added, “I liked learning this. I never imagined the world was filled with ruthless people willing to jeopardize lives for profit.”
Daniel Ek, Spotify’s founder and CEO, had previously discussed maintaining policies regarding content creators during a revenue call in February 2022. “The key here is to not change our policy based on one creator or the media cycle,” he explained. “Our policies are crafted with input from numerous internal and external experts, and they’re really aligned with our platform.”
Fox News Digital attempted to reach Spotify for a comment but did not receive an immediate response.
