Since last year, Joe Rogan’s political stance has become more prominent, evolving alongside his well-known passion for MMA. Once seen as someone who stayed away from direct political alignment, the podcaster is now one of the most visible supporters of certain political figures—an evolution that hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans and critics alike. Not long ago, Rogan held a very different position.In 2022, during an appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast, he made his stance on Donald Trump crystal clear, saying, “By the way, I’m not a Trump supporter in any way.” He added that he didn’t want to “help” Trump or give him a platform on the JRE. But by 2024, the landscape had shifted dramatically. In early November, Joe Rogan publicly endorsed Trump’s campaign for the U.S. presidency—and even welcomed him onto his podcast. With the podcaster pulling in over 15 million listeners, it offered Trump a direct line to younger voters.That particular episode—#2219—has since crossed 56 million views, becoming one of the show’s most-watched. Joe Rogan’s new support for Trump appears tied to their mutual friendships with influential figures like Elon Musk and UFC president Dana White. Although people once praised the podcaster for avoiding political affiliations, his recent commentary heavily focuses on Trump and Musk, a shift that angered some longtime listeners.What makes this pivot even more striking is Joe Rogan’s earlier criticism of those who abandon neutrality for popularity. A Reddit user recently unearthed a clip from episode #1836, where the Austin native reflected, “You also see that with people who switch political affiliations. You know, like, they get lured to the other side and receive a lot of attention from the transition, and so they make that transition—and everybody loves them.”MMA: UFC 249, May 9, 2020 Jacksonville, Florida, USA UFC commentator Joe Rogan in attendance before UFC 249 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports, 09.05.2020 18:40:04, 14296442, NPStrans, UFC, UFC 249, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Joe Rogan, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJasenxVinlovex 14296442Now, those words seem to be coming full circle. Rogan, who once urged comedians to steer clear of political partisanship and encouraged fans to remain “free agents,” appears to have taken a different path. His recent vocal support for Donald Trump’s proposed deportation policies has sparked debate and drawn criticism. For some longtime listeners, it feels as though Joe Rogan inadvertently foreshadowed his own transformation.Fans reacted as Joe Rogan’s old JRE clip resurfaced“I don’t consider myself a Republican. I don’t consider myself a Democrat either,” Joe Rogan famously stated a few years ago, once proudly labeling himself as “American first” when it came to ideology. But with the rise of the so-called “Joe Rogan wave” last year—an influence that seemed to sweep across much of the country—many believed the Austin native had leaned more toward the Republican side.However, that political alignment may be shifting once again. Joe Rogan recently pushed back against some of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration decisions, specifically those involving the deportation of immigrants with criminal records. While Trump framed the move as a security measure, Rogan raised concerns that innocent immigrants were also being unjustly targeted.In response to a fan who resurfaced an old episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan replied with a sarcastic quip, “It is wild that he has gone down the road he has. Unless, hear me out, body snatchers.” That sentiment resonated with others, including one fan who commented, “This is insane lmfao.” the podcaster’s ideological shift—from liberal-leaning to more right-wing—didn’t happen overnight. A major factor was his public fallout with media outlets like CNN over his comments related to COVID-19 and vaccines.These networks, seen by many as left-leaning, criticized Joe Rogan harshly—something he later described as a wake-up call that pushed him closer to Republican ideals. One fan offered another theory for the podcaster’s transformation, writing, “He became a propaganda machine literally betting everything.”Until mid-2023, Joe Rogan appeared to walk a middle path politically. But an attempted assassination on Donald Trump seemed to be a turning point. After the incident, the podcaster began portraying Trump in a far more favorable light—almost as a heroic figure. One viewer reacted to a clip from Rogan’s show with, “This is hilarious. He might be a right-wing shill but at least he can predict the future.” Some fans were so surprised by Joe Rogan’s tone in the clip, they questioned its authenticity. One commented, “This can’t be real, wow,” while another added, “This is so crazy I almost think it’s AI.” Given Rogan’s current political stance, how do you view his past remarks from just a year ago? Has he gone against his own words, or is it just part of personal evolution? 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