Podcast host Joe Rogan has explained why he turned down what would have been the biggest interview he’s done so far, with former President Donald Trump.
The JRE podcast stands as one of the most popular podcasts on the internet, and with over a decade’s worth of episodes under his belt, Rogan has sat across from countless guests over the years.
With huge names like Elon Musk, Mike Tyson, Kanye West, and more appearing on the show, fans are always keen to see who the star will be able to get on the show next.
In an episode of Breaking Points with Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, Rogan spilled the beans on why he turned down who could have potentially been the biggest guest to ever appear on the show — former US President Donald Trump.
He explained that they wanted him to go to the White House to conduct the interview, and said “they kept coming back” to try and get him to do it.
“Maybe I would have thought about it in LA, like to do a real 3-hour thing,” he went on to say. “But either way, the problem is, it’s a real problem in that I don’t want anybody to be uncomfortable, and I don’t think it’s my role… like, if I’m talking to someone like him there’s some uncomfortable things that have to be addressed.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Rogan also added that the proposed format of the episode isn’t something he was sold on. “It was not what I’m interested in, it’s not what I do. The idea of going to the White House and doing a 20-minute podcast, it’s not a podcast.”
While the episode would have guaranteed a huge amount of attention, the host explained that he’s in it for more than just the numbers. “I just don’t ever do things saying ‘this is gonna be a big episode, it’s gonna be a lot of numbers,’ I do things if I think someone’s cool. I’m interested in someone, or I think their position is fascinating.”
He went on to claim that he wouldn’t have interviewed Trump or Biden as he “didn’t want to help anybody in this race.”
There’s no doubt that if Rogan had gone ahead with the interview that it would have caused a stir on social media, but it just goes to show how in-demand a guest spot on the Joe Rogan Experience is.