Joe Rogan says multiple presidents targeted his Spotify

Joe Rogan says that during the COVID-19 pandemic, presidents and former presidents contacted Spotify to try to de-platform him over vaccine misinformation—an allegation that comes without any reports supporting similar claims.

Joe Rogan didn’t bring up the controversy like an abstract debate. On the June 17 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the influential 58-year-old went straight at a claim that lands somewhere between political pressure and platform power.

Rogan told Applied Behavior CEO Chase Hughes that “presidents and former presidents” reached out to Spotify in an effort to remove him. He said this happened while he was at the center of COVID-related controversy, describing it as attempts to get him “de-platform” for vaccine misinformation.

He was specific about what he thinks followed. “I can’t even talk about it. ” Rogan added. referring to the figures he said were involved. “but there were presidents involved and former presidents involved that were contacting Spotify. Oh yeah. Trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation.” He then said, “And it turned out to be right. All of it. Not a single [person] apologized.”.

Rogan’s account comes after years of public backlash tied to how he discussed COVID-19 on his show. During the pandemic. he was skeptical of vaccines and promoted misinformation about the effectiveness of alternative COVID treatments. including ivermectin—described in the reporting as “horse paste.” He also hosted anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists. including biochemist Robert Malone. who was banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation about COVID.

He told Hughes that the pushback cost him sponsors. Still, he said his built-in audience helped him handle the financial hit. “It was almost easy for me because I’d gotten such a head start,” Rogan said. “Thank God I was on Spotify and thank God Spotify is not an American company. And also it helped that I was number one in, like, 90 countries and not number 90 in one country, you know?. That helped. That helped a lot.” Rogan averages over 11 million listeners per podcast episode.

That same backlash is part of why Spotify became the focus for calls to change. During the pandemic, medical professionals and musicians petitioned Spotify to remove Rogan. In January 2022. 270 medical professionals signed an open letter to Spotify urging the company to “establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform. ” pointing to the “false and societally harmful assertions” Rogan shared.

Musicians Neil Young and Joni Mithcell had their music removed from the platform in protest of Spotify hosting Rogan. Rogan denied intentionally trying to spread misinformation, and Spotify ultimately put a disclaimer in front of his podcasts—something he said he agreed with.

There’s also a stark gap between Rogan’s new claim and what’s been publicly documented. There has never been a report suggesting that any former president—let alone multiple former presidents—pressured Spotify to try to get Rogan taken off the platform.

Rogan’s comments landed as he continues to straddle worlds beyond podcasts; he appeared at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.

For now, Rogan’s allegation adds a new layer to a fight that has already played out across sponsors, signatures, and platform policy—one he describes as political pressure, while the record of outside reporting on presidential involvement remains empty.

Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience Spotify COVID-19 vaccine misinformation ivermectin horse paste Neil Young Joni Mitchell Robert Malone UFC Freedom 250