Joe Rogan has finally broken his silence on Donald Trump’s sly jab at him during his recent White House appearance. On April 18, the UFC color commentator was present at the Oval Office when the President of the United States signed an executive order on prioritizing research into the use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental illnesses and addiction. Rogan was directly involved in the issue, promoting the potential use of a psychedelic called ibogaine. While addressing the 58-year-old’s contributions to bringing the issue to light, the POTUS said that he respects Rogan while adding, “He’s a little bit more liberal than me, that’s okay. I have a lot of friends that are liberal.”

During the recent JRE podcast with Luis J. Gomez, Joe Rogan responded to Donald Trump’s “liberal” remark, explaining that it was nothing more than a “joke.”

“I am,” Rogan said. “He joked about it. He called me a liberal during the whole thing. He’s like, ‘Joe, he’s very liberal.'”  

Joe Rogan has publicly criticized the Trump administration’s civil and international policies on his podcast and also showed reluctance toward America going to war with Iran this year. 

At the same time, the comedian-podcaster remained skeptical of the Joe Biden administration under the Democratic government. So, it is not certain how much Rogan aligns with Trump’s version of him.

In a JRE podcast episode with Arsenio Hall, he described himself as “politically homeless” because his views didn’t fully align with Donald Trump’s. After that statement, he also had an interaction with the US president at the UFC 327 event in Miami, where some fans felt the exchange seemed cold, which many interpreted as a form of rebuke from Trump for his recent criticisms. 

However, when Rogan was later seen attending the executive order signing at the Oval Office, backlash followed, with critics accusing him of backtracking. Even UFC journalist Luke Thomas called the commentator out, claiming Rogan never took accountability for his role in US politics. But that’s not all. When his podcast guest, Luis J. Gomez, revealed that people online sensed something was wrong between him and Donald Trump, Rogan replied that it was actually the opposite.  

“It was literally the opposite,” the UFC commentator added. “I texted him on Friday about ibogaine, and I was telling him how this is the one the vets use.”

Now, as everything seems to be alright between Donald Trump and Rogan, a former surgeon general has weighed in on the thing as well.

Veteran ex-surgeon labels Joe Rogan’s White House appearance a ‘WWE spectacle‘

Amid the backlash and some positive reactions, few expected Joe Rogan’s Oval Office appearance to draw a comparison to WWE. Jerome Michael Adams, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, stated that psychedelic treatment has shown improvement in mental health over the years. 

However, he added that Rogan’s presence during the signing felt like something out of WWE, which he believed overshadowed the importance of the signing. 

“So yesterday’s executive order, it directs 50 million in research funding, instructs the FDA to prioritize reviews for vouchers for breakthrough therapy, and directs the FDA and DEA to ease barriers under Right to Try,” Adams told CBS. “Also, importantly, it maintains full FDA and DEA oversight, so it’s not legalization or reclassification of psychedelics. 

“But the content, while reasonable, was overshadowed by the rollout, as you mentioned with Joe Rogan, it was a spectacle resembling a WWE promotion.” 

Ultimately, the Oval Office visit and its fallout demonstrate the tightrope Rogan walks, balancing his proximity to power with the anti-establishment persona that built his audience.