In a Friday debate with comedian Harland Williams, Joe Rogan argued that the case for President Donald Trump’s war on Iran is driven by Israel’s interests and said he worries there’s no way out—echoing points made by anti-war author Scott Horton.
For Joe Rogan, the argument about Iran didn’t turn on whether nuclear weapons are dangerous. It turned on how the United States got pulled into the conflict—and what happens after the first strike.
On Friday. Rogan debated comedian Harland Williams. pressing back against a pro-Iran-war view that hinges on preventing Tehran from gaining nuclear weapons. Rogan said his thinking largely came from a recent “Joe Rogan Experience” conversation with Scott Horton. an author and anti-war activist who argued that Israel’s interests were dragging the U.S. into the fight.
“Essentially. this is Israel wanting us to go to this war. ” Rogan said. adding that the take “makes sense.” Rogan then laid out his skepticism in plain terms: he doesn’t support the war. and he said there’s no exit strategy—especially after the United States spent “20 years and trillions of taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan. ” only to end without the kind of outcome he believes the public was promised.
Williams challenged Rogan by pushing the premise that Iran can’t be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The Canadian-American actor—known for roles in “Dumb and Dumber” and “Half Baked”—also framed Trump’s war on Iran. which is ostensibly aimed at blocking Iranian nuclear capability. as a more “positive agenda” than targeting Taliban-linked Afghans growing opium.
“That’s true if it made sense,” Rogan countered.
He tied his disagreement to what Horton had described on his podcast about the difficulty of turning depleted uranium into weapons-grade material. Rogan said Horton walked through “what is actually involved in making depleted uranium. and making it weapons-grade. ” along with “what would have to be done in order to get it to a bomb level.” Rogan’s conclusion was blunt: “It’s very difficult. It’s not as simple, and they weren’t nearly capable of doing that.”.
Williams pushed back with a shorter rebuttal: “Not nearly, but pursuing,” he said.
Rogan also said he understands why Israel would want war with Iran. He offered a comparison meant to make the motive feel obvious—though he stopped short of saying it should change U.S. policy. If a neighbor of the United States. like Mexico. were building a nuclear weapon and was “constantly in conflict” with America. Rogan said. the U.S. would have “a good reason” to act.
“Like, ‘Hey, you can’t have a nuclear bomb,’” Rogan said.
But he worried the comparison doesn’t answer what matters most to him: whether it’s “a good thing for America” and whether there’s “a way out of it.”
“I don’t know if it’s a good thing for America. And I don’t know if there’s a way out of it,” Rogan said, before laying out the chain of logic as he sees it—what Israel wants and what Iran’s proximity could make possible.
“This is Israel’s position, and Israel is right there with Iran, they’re close enough to throw missiles at each other. I get why they want it,” Rogan continued. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing for America.”
Earlier in the show. Rogan had acknowledged a different kind of enthusiasm for Trump. saying he likes it when the president does “wild shit. ” including organizing an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn. Rogan endorsed Trump in the 2024 election. but he has also said he splits with Trump and his administration on major issues.
He has decried Trump’s “horrific” deportations. called “insane” the administration’s immigration raids. and described Trump’s “terrifying” war on Iran as one of his most alarming disagreements. He also attacked Palantir—calling out the tech company’s role streamlining data on U.S. citizens for the federal government—and said Palantir called for a military draft amid the Iran war.
The exchange with Williams left the central fault line exposed: whether the U.S. should be in a conflict driven by an ally’s security concerns, and whether the political leaders selling the fight are also offering a believable path back out.
Joe Rogan Harland Williams Iran war Donald Trump Israel Scott Horton nuclear weapons depleted uranium Palantir immigration raids deportations
Rogan is right, Israel always pulling us into messes.
I didn’t even know there was a debate lol. So is this saying Iran doesn’t get nukes but we still get dragged in? Like the headline makes it sound inevitable.
Wait depleted uranium into weapons-grade?? I thought depleted uranium was basically already “weapons” or something. Also Afghanistan comparison… doesn’t that have nothing to do with Iran? I’m confused.
I hate that everyone’s talking about “exit strategy” like we can just turn it off after a first strike. Plus Afghanistan was 20 years, but that wasn’t one dude deciding to do it overnight. Rogan keeps saying no way out, but Trump also does deal-making… so which is it, pulled in or negotiated? And why does Israel get the whole blame here, can’t Iran just chill with the nuclear stuff?