“I’ve been liberal my whole life, I just look like a Republican.”
– Joe Rogan, taken from podcast #1412 w/ Jimmy Dore
One thing that baffles me about Joe Rogan adversaries, is how they label him as either a right-wing conservative or a left-wing liberal. The right scorns him for saying he would probably vote for Bernie, and the left scorns him for saying he would probably vote for Trump over Biden. But where does he actually stand on politics?
Joe Rogan is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. In the past, he predominantly voted for Democrats, but he is not associated with either party and remains open to voting for the most qualified candidate. His beliefs are most closely aligned with Independent or Libertarian policies, and is a supporter of Tulsi Gabbard, having had her on the JRE podcast over 5 times.
One thing to admire about Rogan is how treats every political issue differently and believes in the freedom to separate issues. Don’t try to box him in or call him all-Democrat or all-Republican. He treats every issue independently with careful intellectual thought and empathy.
Where does Joe Rogan stand on political issues?
Rogan’s beliefs are aligned with Democrats on social issues like welfare, healthcare, gay rights, women’s rights, right-wing Christianity hypocrisy, and the separation of church and state.
And as an avid hunter, he shares Republican views on the 2nd amendment, the support of the military, the support of police officers, and traditional family values.
Also see: Is Joe Rogan religious? His Beliefs on God Simplified
Joe Rogan on Welfare and Community Programs
Rogan himself was born poor, with a dad who left and didn’t support him or his mom growing up. He said he’s lucky he found karate because it gave him a passion and a way out.
He is a fan of community programs to give kids a safe place to go and learn, and provide opportunity to make something better out of their lives.
He isn’t a fan of the right-wing ideology to “just pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” It’s incredibly hard to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty ridden, crime infested, drug addled communities that people grow up in.
If a person’s father and grandfather grew up in this cycle and couldn’t break it, it’s hard for them to do it. Mentioning Detroit and the southside of Chicago, Rogan says, “If you want to make America better, the best place to start is with the areas that suck the most.”
He thinks our responsibility as human beings is to try to help our fellow citizens get an opportunity for success. “I believe people that have been dealt a crappy hand, might need a hand to help pull them up.”
Joe Rogan on Gay Marriage
On JRE podcast #1276, Rogan asked Ben Shapiro – “Why do you care if two gay guys want to get married?”
Joe is supportive of gay marriage. He doesn’t think the government should be involved in telling someone they can or can’t get married. “I don’t think it should be apart of public policy. I definitely think people should be able to marry or divorce or do whatever they want to do.”
Joe Rogan on Women’s Rights
Rogan says, “I am 100% pro choice. If you’re a guy you can’t tell a women what she has to do (with her body).” But, he admits it’s a very complicated topic and he doesn’t know the answers.
As a guy, he thinks it’s hard on that proposition because we’re not in a woman’s shoes. Also, he noted it’s difficult to decide when life actually becomes life in the womb.
Joe Rogan on Trans
Rogan is all for transgender rights, in the context of it’s their choice and freedom to do whatever they want to do with their body.
On JRE #1509 – Abigail Shrier, they talked at length about teenager girls making the decision to be transgender. He sounded hesitant and hoped that the young girls were not making a permanent decision for something that might be temporary issue, like depression.
However, where Rogan is strongly opposed to trans rights, is when a man who becomes a woman, and then wants to compete in woman’s sports, especially in his favorite sport – MMA fighting.
“The bone structure is so different and people that deny that are crazy,” says Rogan.
Also see: The Top 15 Athletes on the JRE Podcast
Joe Rogan on Gun Rights
Rogan picked up hunting in 2013 and is a believer in the right to keep and bear arms. He says, “95% of the world population eats meat. I just happen to kill my own.”
Rogan loves to get his own meat from the wild. He’s not a fan of the hypocrisy of people who eat meat and buy leather goods, but are anti-hunting. He is a big fan of elk and thinks it’s much more healthy to get wild game, that is free of antibiotics, steroids, and hormones.
Also see: 7 Reasons Why Elk is Joe Rogan’s Favorite Meat
Rogan’s Quotes On Politics
“I’m big for universal basic income, giving people enough money to eat and survive. Maybe that would open up a lot more people to pursuing dreams.” – Joe Rogan
– Joe Rogan
“I’m also pragmatic and I realize that if you give people too much. If you make things too easy for people, they don’t try hard.“
-Joe Rogan
“If there is anything that our tax dollars should be going to it’s creating less losers.”
– Joe Rogan
What does Rogan hope for the future?
“The only hope that I have is reasonable dialogue becoming an accepted and appreciated thing. Not a fan of team mentality, Democrat vs Republican. People going all in on side to get acceptance from that group.”
– Joe Rogan
Also see: Did Joe Rogan Go To College? His Thoughts on School
He thinks that “weasels” on either side need to be called out, especially people just repeating accepted beliefs that people will sing along to (being insincere).
“I think most reasonable people have a collection of ideas that they share views on the right and the left, and are reasonably compassionate. “
– Joe Rogan
“We could all do better with an appreciate for each other and celebrate reasonable dialogue and celebrate a reasonable understanding of other people’s perspectives. Using empathy instead of just screw you. Let me put myself in your shoes.”
– Joe Rogan
“I think there is a lot of right-wing family values that I admire. But when it gets to homophobia, women’s rights, that’s where I break with the right wing stuff.”
-Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan on Political Candidates
Rogan enjoys having political candidates on the JRE podcast, saying “It’s a great platform I think for anyone who’s running for anything to have a long form conversation. And it’s good for us to because we get to figure out who they really are. You really can’t hide in a long form conversation.”
He also noted that lots of candidates have requested to be on his podcast, including Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg – but he’d rather just have his friends on to talk to them.
Joe Rogan on Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders
Rogan stated that if given the option he would 100% be willing to vote for Bernie Sanders, but that Tulsi Gabbard was his favorite candidate. He has had Gabbard on the JRE Podcast episodes: #1295, #1391, #1599, #1880, #2032
Joe Rogan on Joe Biden
Rogan would not be willing to vote for Biden and he says it has nothing to do with his politics, saying “He has trouble putting a sentence together.” He thinks that Biden is clearly suffering a cognitive decline associated to being too old.
Joe Rogan on Dick Cheney
On JRE Podcast #1335 Jim Gaffigan, Rogan summed up his thoughts on Cheney – in jest, sort of.
“Explain this. So he was the CEO of Halliburton. Then he leaves Halliburton and becomes vice president. Then he gives Halliburton these no-bid contracts to rebuild Iraq. After they blew it up. So explain that.”
Joe Rogan on Donald Trump
“Did you see Trump standing in front of that church holding that bible like it was a dirty diaper?” – Joe Rogan
During the time of presidential debates in 2020, their was a viral rumor that Rogan could host a debate on his JRE podcast, between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. It never came to fruition, but definitely would have had America’s attention. There is still internet chatter about Trump being a guest leading up to the 2024 election.
Rogan, in general, is not a supportive of Donal Trump but thinks he is the better, preferred option over Joe Biden because of Biden’s seemingly cognitive decline.
Joe Rogan on Gary Johnson
Rogan said that he voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson in the 2016 Presidential Election because he didn’t like either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. It also helped that they had a eye-opening discussion on the JRE podcast, episode #801.