Joe Rogan says podcasters don't belong at Trump press conferences
Joe Rogan said on his podcast that podcasters have no place at Trump press conferences alongside professional journalists, and that he would not attend such briefings himself.
Joe Rogan said on his podcast Friday that podcasters do not belong at Trump press conferences alongside professional journalists. The comedian and host argued that podcasters “talk” rather than report, and said he would not attend the briefings himself. His comments mark a sharp position from one of the most prominent figures in the medium that helped define the 2024 campaign.
Rogan also criticized the shouting that often accompanies the president’s informal gaggles with reporters. In his view, the noise drowns out the questions and answers that give such exchanges their value. He framed his objection around the difference between a podcast, where a host sets the terms of a conversation, and a press briefing, where journalists are expected to press officials on the record.
The remarks came in response to a complaint from David Sacks, who chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, that podcasters had been sidelined at such events. Sacks’ objection put the question of access at the center of the exchange. Rogan’s reply pushed back against the idea that podcast hosts should be granted seats alongside reporters simply because their audiences are large.
The access debate has been shaped by changes inside the White House press operation. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt created a “new media seat” in the briefing room for alternative outlets. The seat sits at the front of the room, near the podium, giving bloggers, influencers and podcast hosts a visible place among the traditional press corps. Leavitt, a former press secretary, is credited with opening the briefings to these voices, a move that has drawn both praise from new media figures and criticism from reporters who cover the White House full time.
Podcasts drew significant attention during the 2024 election, which was widely dubbed the “podcast election.” Rogan himself interviewed Trump during the campaign and later endorsed him, which makes his comments on press access notable given his own role in that shift. Other comedians and podcast hosts, including Shane Gillis, Mark Normand and Ari Shaffir, have also been part of the conversation about new media’s place in political coverage.
It remains unclear whether podcasters will keep access to the briefing seats going forward. The seat’s future depends on decisions inside the administration, and the question has not been settled. Rogan’s comments add a voice from within the podcast world to a debate that has divided reporters, administration officials and the media figures who now command large audiences.
Source: foxnews.com
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