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Why Joe Rogan’s Assault on Facts Is So Dangerous
Joe Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Spotify. Photo: Screenshot.
If you listened to the March 5 episode of the top-rated podcast on Spotify in the US, you would hear, in the first 30 minutes, that:
- Richard Nixon was framed;
- Time travel is possible;
- Charles Manson was a CIA asset;
- The 1960s anti-war movement was a CIA operation; and
- Sirhan Sirhan (the convicted assassin of Senator Robert Kennedy) had been subjected to mind control.
Then, after just a few more minutes, you would hear the guest, Ian Carroll, tell the host, Joe Rogan, “I sound crazy to someone that doesn’t do their own research.”
You don’t say.
If anyone were brave or gullible enough to keep listening after Carroll’s assertion that he “sounds crazy” only to “someone that doesn’t do their own research” (or if you were forced to keep listening because it was your job), you would hear Carroll wonder if the Egyptian pyramids were built by telepathic aliens and hear him, along with Rogan, claim that we don’t really know what happened at 7 World Trade Center.
The destruction of 7 World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, was litigated in multiple cases, with multiple parties fighting over hundreds of millions of dollars. One litigation lasted over 10 years, and an army of lawyers was involved. I briefly worked on one of the cases myself. And I can promise you, we know what happened at 7 World Trade Center.
I suppose I can’t prove that the pyramids weren’t built by telepathic aliens. But should anyone really have to?
This is the sort of exasperation that prompted Douglas Murray, on the April 10 episode of Rogan’s show, to exclaim in frustration, “you don’t need to consume endless versions of a revisionist history!”
It takes about five minutes to look up and then spout off a conspiracy theory, but exponentially longer to debunk one. The sheer number of bizarre claims made on this program, thrown out rapidly one after another for over two and a half hours, could send an actual, serious researcher on a months’ long, or longer, full-time quest to conclusively debunk each one.
No normal person has that kind of time — and that’s part of the conceit here. Carroll, a former Uber Eats driver turned “independent researcher,” wants his audience to feel that if they believe such claims, they are the ones who are in-the-know, in possession of a secret knowledge that powerful people are trying to keep hidden.
And unfortunately someone who believes, or is even willing to entertain, Carroll’s ridiculous claims might also believe him when he claims that Jeffrey Epstein was working for the Mossad to gather intelligence on American officials, or that a group of Jewish philanthropists investing in Jewish causes was conducting espionage (“it is unclear if we have proof that they were conducting espionage,” Carroll says. Do your own research!). Or that “Israel has so much control over our government right now. And I’m not saying that all Jews are in on something. Clearly, Internet. Thank you.”
Such a listener might also have believed comic Dave Smith when he claimed on a solo appearance on Rogan’s show, prior to his “debate” with Douglas Murray, that the US is bombing Yemen “on behalf of Israel,” or when he said of Palestinians in the West Bank, “under Israeli control they have zero rights, zero rights whatsoever,” or when he said that Israel has “gotten us into like seven wars.” (April 3, 2025.)
Those same listeners might also have believed Darryl Cooper’s Holocaust revisionism on March 13, 2025. But these are just the same old tired conspiracy theories, now recycled into a new media environment that has no guardrails. (In fact, most antisemitism — at its root — is just a conspiracy theory.)
It’s good to know, of course, that Carroll doesn’t believe in David Icke’s theories about reptiles (calling them a “grift”), or that the earth is flat (purposeful misinformation meant to “obfuscate the narrative,” he says), but is that really our new baseline? One would hope not.
Rogan ended the episode, after play-acting for the supposed censors, “I can’t believe what you said … I am so upset that I even platformed you, you’re outrageous!” by more seriously telling Carroll that he was “very, very reasonable” and performing a “valuable service.”
Nor was Ian Carroll the first obvious kook that Rogan had on his show – he has previously hosted Terrence Howard, Roger Waters, and Abby Martin.
And just this week, Rogan was once again suggesting that aliens may have built the pyramids in Egypt. (May 14, 2025.) Notably, Rogan pushed back much harder on the former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass, who opposes such bonkers theories, than he ever pushed back on Carroll. But it took Carroll just a couple of minutes to promote the claim that the pyramids could have been built by telepathic aliens, and it took an actual archeologist with decades of experience two hours to rebut it.
No one knows better than CAMERA that the credentialed experts don’t always get things right. But that’s not an excuse to promote baseless conspiracy theories pedaled by someone with no credibility whatsoever.
Rogan is entertaining, and many people enjoy the super-long format that has at other times allowed him to get much more in-depth into issues than television news, even magazine formats like 20/20 or 60 Minutes, can allow. But if a listener can learn one thing from Carroll, Cooper, and Smith’s interviews on this podcast, it’s that Joe Rogan, who boasts, “I was arguing with people about the moon landing on the radio before [expletive] there was any podcasts,” doesn’t vet his guests for any type of intellectual rigor whatsoever.
It’s also clear that Rogan often lacks the desire or knowledge to push back on some of his guests’ crazier claims. And he’s happy to use his show to promote wild conspiracy theories — including, but certainly not limited to, those about Jews and Israel. After all, it creates controversy and makes for a great podcast — and lots of profit for Rogan.
Karen Bekker is the Assistant Director in the Media Response Team at CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.
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Israel Announces Daily Pauses in Gaza Fighting as Aid Airdrops Begin
Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israel on Sunday announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world.
Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight.
US President Donald Trump, on a visit to Scotland, said Israel would have to make a decision on its next steps in Gaza, and he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with Hamas.
Military activity will stop from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north.
The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. starting from Sunday.
U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said staff would step up efforts to feed the hungry during the pauses in the fighting.
“Our teams on the ground … will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window,” he said on X.
In their first airdrop in months, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza on Sunday, a Jordanian official said, adding that those were not a substitute for delivery by land.
Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes.
Work on a UAE project to run a new pipeline that will supply water from a desalination facility in neighboring Egypt to around 600,000 Gazans along the coast would also begin in a few days, the Israeli military said.
On Saturday, a five-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of malnutrition at Nasser Hospital, health workers said.
“Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead,” said her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, as the baby’s father held their daughter’s body wrapped in a white shroud.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was sending more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food to southern Gaza on Sunday. Some had been looted in the area of Khan Younis after entering Gaza, residents said.
A group of 25 states including Britain, France and Canada last week said Israel’s denial of aid was unacceptable.
The military’s spokesperson said Israel was committed to international law and monitors the humanitarian situation daily. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said there was no starvation in Gaza, but appeared to acknowledge conditions were critical.
“When we start approaching a problematic line (threshold) then the IDF works to let in humanitarian aid,” he said. “That’s what happened over the weekend.”
Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds and reopened it with new restrictions in May.
It says it has been allowing in aid but must prevent it from being diverted by terrorists and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza’s people.
HOPE, UNCERTAINTY
Many Gazans expressed some relief at Sunday’s announcement, but said fighting must end.
“People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner. “We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies whether it is fighting or negotiating a ceasefire and vowed to press on with the campaign until “complete victory.”
Hamas said Israel was continuing its military offensive.
“What is happening isn’t a humanitarian truce,” said Hamas official Ali Baraka.
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‘Israel Is Doing More for Gaza’s Civilians than Hamas,’ Says IDF Spokesperson
IDF Spokesperson Effie Deffrin. Photo: IDF
i24 News – In a press briefing held Sunday morning, IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin addressed the latest developments in the Gaza conflict, including the implementation of a tactical humanitarian pause and the delivery of aid into the enclave.
Defrin sharply criticized Hamas, accusing the organization of spreading false claims about widespread famine in Gaza while actively obstructing humanitarian efforts.
“Israel initiated the creation of food distribution centers to prevent famine,” he said. “We are securing four aid centers, facilitating convoys, and permitting international airdrops. These humanitarian pauses are designed to allow civilians access to essential supplies.”
He went on to condemn Hamas for its handling of humanitarian aid. “While Hamas steals aid meant for civilians and hides it in tunnels, it runs a deceitful campaign claiming there’s famine in Gaza. Let’s be clear: there is no famine, and Israel is operating fully within international law.”
Defrin argued that Israel is showing greater concern for the welfare of Gaza’s residents than Hamas itself. “Hamas is deliberately worsening the situation and disrupting the delivery of aid. They’re not just fighting us, they’re fighting their own people.”
In closing, he stated: “Hamas is no longer a point of reference for many in Gaza. The IDF has established aid centers, and civilians are turning to them daily. No country confronted with such a brutal terrorist organization has done more to support the civilian population in enemy territory.”
The remarks come amid intensified international scrutiny of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with Israel seeking to reinforce its narrative of compliance with international law and contrast its actions with those of Hamas.
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Netanyahu: ‘We’re Making Progress Toward Victory and Hostage Release’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ramon Air Force Base on Sunday alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues.
During the visit, Netanyahu praised the Israeli Air Force for its performance in the operation, presenting a certificate of appreciation to the Air Force Commander.
He held a closed discussion with ground and air crews, where operational insights and future directions were reviewed.
Addressing the media after the visit, Netanyahu said Israel is “making progress in the fighting and in the negotiations for the release of our hostages,” and reaffirmed that Israel’s war objective remains the complete dismantling of Hamas.
In a pointed criticism of the United Nations, Netanyahu accused the body of spreading misinformation about Israel’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid. “The UN is creating an excuse and a lie about the State of Israel,” he said. “They claim we’re blocking humanitarian supplies. That’s false. There are secured convoys—there always have been. Now it’s official. No more excuses.”
Netanyahu added that humanitarian aid routes remain operational, but emphasized that “minimal humanitarian supplies” would continue only as necessary, and not at the expense of military objectives.
The Prime Minister ended his statement by reinforcing Israel’s determination: “We will continue to fight, continue to act, until we achieve all of our war goals—until complete victory.”
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