January 1, Joe Rogan Tells Podcasters to Stay Out of White House Press Briefings

Wyatt’s Take

• Joe Rogan knows podcasters are not journalists and should not pretend otherwise
• Real questions and honest answers get drowned out when everyone yells at once
• Trump won because he spoke directly to working people through long-form conversations, not staged briefings

Podcaster Joe Rogan told listeners on Friday that podcasters have no business sitting in White House press briefings alongside actual reporters.

“We talk s—!” Rogan declared during a conversation with comedians Shane Gillis, Mark Normand, and Ari Shaffir.

Rogan described the current briefing format as a complete mess where multiple voices talk over each other with competing questions.

“There is a problem at these things,” he said. “Like, say if you have a question and you’re talking to him. Someone else would just talk louder right next to you with a totally different question. It is f—ing annoying. And they don’t care. It’s a bad podcast!”

Rogan repeated his frustration with the chaotic format that prevents anyone from getting a full answer.

“It’s a bad podcast,” he continued. “If you hear a guy with a good question, let him go. Let him cook. Let him ask his f—ing question. And if you have a question later, raise your f—ing hand. And when he comes to you, ask your question. But if you’re just yelling over the other guy’s question, a louder, different question. That s—‘s annoying.”

Rogan pushed back against suggestions that podcasters should be given front-row seats at press conferences.

“Like, hey, how about no?” he said. “How about real journalists? How about not have us do that? Also, we’re not going! We’re not going to the f—ing press conferences and sitting in the front row and asking questions to Karoline Leavitt.”

He made clear that podcasters and journalists serve different roles in American life.

“We’re not going to go to the press conferences,” Rogan added. “We’re not press people. We talk s—. OK? And it’s a sickness of our society that people take our opinions so importantly that it’s so significant. It should not be. They do though, unfortunately. And it works, unfortunately.”

Podcasters reached millions of voters during the 2024 campaign by offering long conversations that bypassed traditional media gatekeepers.

President Trump connected with working-class Americans through these unfiltered discussions rather than scripted events.

Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt created a “new media seat” that opened briefings to alternative voices.

The move gave bloggers and influencers the chance to ask questions directly of the White House.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America has always valued straight talk over polished performances, and Joe Rogan gets that podcasters should stick to honest conversations instead of playing dress-up with the Washington press corps.