Mega-popular podcaster Joe Rogan is often referred to as a right-wing media personality because of his controversial opinions about the COVID-19 pandemic and for inviting people from the conservative fringe on his show.
However, when it comes to the issues, he’s pretty clear about being a liberal.
“I’m so far away from being a Republican. Just because I believe in the Second Amendment and just because I support the military and just ’cause I support police [doesn’t mean I’m a Republican],” he said on the July 23 episode of his show.
“Like I was on welfare as a kid. I think it’s important. I think having a social safety net is crucial. We should help each other,” Rogan concluded. “We’re supposed to be one big community. I’m a bleeding heart liberal when it comes to a lot of shit.”
In the same episode, he told comedian Andrew Schulz why he endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election—it was because of his character and policies.
u201c@joerogan and @andrewschulz discussing Trump vs. @BernieSanders nSCHULZ: That’s what was so endearing about Bernie. Did you feel like he cared about winning and controlling? I never got that sense.nROGAN: No. I got a sense that he genuinely wants to help people, the working classu201d— Armand Aviram (@Armand Aviram)
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“I got a sense that he genuinely looks out for the working class and genuinely wants to help people,” Rogan explained. “That’s why I said that I supported him. And when he was explaining how his situation works with taxes that they would just tax a small percentage of speculation of stock trading. Just a tiny percentage of all these trades that are happening constantly and that that money could go to education, that money could go to welfare, that money could go to all these different things that will be used to benefit society. I was like, ‘I’m in.'”
“Is that real? What else are you trying to do? You trying to avoid war? I’m in. What else are you trying to do? You trying to eliminate student debt? I’m in. What about healthcare? Free healthcare. I’m in,” he continued.
Rogan may not consistently back progressives or anyone for that matter and that’s probably a big reason for his success. Most of today’s mainstream news media outlets and pundits tend to be beholden to a political ideology, while 43% of Americans are independents.