Joe Rogan helped put Trump in the White House, but he’s now publicly questioning whether the Iran war was launched in America’s interests or Israel’s

Influential podcaster Joe Rogan is publicly questioning President Trump’s recent Iran war, calling it a betrayal of the president’s campaign promises. Rogan, who many credit with helping Trump secure his return to the White House, has walked back his support following Operation Epic Fury. The conflict is costing an estimated $1 billion a day and has resulted in the deaths of seven U.S. service members so far.

Rogan’s podcast averages about 11 million views per episode. During a recent episode, Rogan, 58, said, “It just seems so insane based on what he ran on.” He added, “He ran on no more wars, and these stupid, senseless wars, and then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it.” This is a notable shift from someone who attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025.

Rogan also questioned whether Trump acted in America’s interests or Israel’s, given that Israel struck Iran in coordination with the United States. According to The Daily Beast, he said, “It just doesn’t make any sense to me, unless we’re acting on someone else’s interests, like, particularly Israel’s interests,” and added, “Clearly Israel wanted this.”

Right-wing influencers are turning on Trump over a war they cannot justify

Rogan is not alone. A growing number of podcasters and streamers are upset with the Trump administration for starting a war that, by Trump’s own admission, may claim more American lives. While Wall Street’s reaction to the Iran war has been mixed, right-wing influencer Alex Jones said during a podcast episode this week with Nick Fuentes, “I needed Trump as my lifeboat.

It may not be perfect, but it’s the lifeboat I’ve got, and I’m watching it sink by its own doing.” Fuentes went as far as suggesting his followers consider voting Democrat.

This is not the first time Rogan has criticized Trump. Last year, he repeatedly condemned the administration’s “insane” immigration raids, saying they targeted ordinary laborers instead of the “worst of the worst” as Trump had initially promised.

Rogan also called out Trump’s “gaslighting” over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and described the administration’s pressure campaign against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel as “crazy.” The war has also raised serious questions about American soldiers being held in Iran, adding another layer of concern for critics of the conflict.

Other prominent right-wing voices, including Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Andrew Tate, are also growing increasingly critical of Trump’s actions. These figures played a significant role in Trump’s rise to power by amplifying his message and targeting his opponents. Their criticism over the Iran war marks a clear shift among some of his most vocal supporters, pointing to a growing divide within a group that once stood firmly behind the president.