Former President Donald Trump sat down with Joe Rogan on Friday for a 3-hour interview at the host’s studio in Austin, Texas.
In a wide-ranging conversation that touched upon tariffs, polling, the environmental lobby, and more, Trump and Rogan spoke candidly about recent history in the United States and the problems facing the nation.
“Once they shot you, I was like, ‘He’s gotta come in here.’ It’s all about the timing,” said Rogan.
A comedian by trade, Rogan, began commentating on mixed martial arts bouts for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, in 1997. In 2010, he created “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which is currently the most popular podcast in the country.
Rogan praised Trump’s ability to work a crowd and his comedic timing, adding that this is one of the main reasons why he has been so successful as a politician.
“You need at least the attitude of a comedian when you’re doing this business,” the former president said, referring to the last decade he’s spent in politics.
Trump told Rogan he has ideas that would enable the United States to remove federal income tax from its citizens and implement massive tariffs on imports. Trump used the example of placing tariffs on Chinese automobiles in an effort to spur American auto industry growth.
After years of uncertainty, Rogan finally invited the former president onto the program. Friday’s interview with Trump was the show’s 2219th episode.
The two men have appeared in public together before, shaking hands at ringside at UFC events. Both men are close friends with Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, who introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Trump allies, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard have all appeared on Rogan’s show before.
The interview began with Trump reflecting on his first inauguration, saying it was “a very surreal experience.” He went on to explain that he didn’t know anyone in Washington when he first arrived, so he admittedly made some mistakes when choosing personnel.
The two men later discussed the current presidential debate format, offering examples of why it isn’t effective in the modern age.
“The problem was they fact-checked you and didn’t fact-check her,” said Rogan, referring to the ABC News debate in September. He went on to criticize the use of moderators and said the industry standard should be that the presidential candidates sit in a room by themselves and have a conversation on live television.
Trump also went into detail explaining his experiences as a builder dealing with powerful environmental consultants who, he said, use the excuse of saving the environment as a way to earn huge consulting fees for themselves.
“Of all of it, to me, the toughest thing was the environmental,” explained Trump.
Earlier Friday, the final New York Times/Siena College poll was released, showing a 48–48 dead heat between Trump and the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump and Rogan wondered if some industry pollsters just fabricate numbers instead of actually doing the work.
“I don’t know of one person in my whole life that ever got called by a pollster,” said Trump.
“Exactly, that’s my point,” Rogan agreed.
At one point, Trump asked Rogan for his endorsement, citing Musk’s support of him.
“You can not be voting for Kamala,” said Trump. “You’re not a Kamala person.”
Rogan said that Harris might still come on his show before Election Day, which is 10 days away.