Donald Trump believes Joe Rogan doesn’t owe anyone an apology.
The ex-president issued a statement on Monday, saying, “Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics.”
Trump continued, per the Hill, “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened. That’s not you and it never will be!”
Trump’s support for Rogan arrives after Spotify echoed its own support for the podcast host, with platform CEO Daniel Ek expressing that stance in internal communications. Still, 70 episodes of Rogan’s podcast were removed from the streamer by Rogan himself, according to the Washington Post.
Rogan apologized over the weekend when India Arie shared multiple clips of him saying the N-word on the Joe Rogan Experience. “There’s nothing I can do to take that back. I wish I could. Obviously, that’s not possible,” Rogan said. “I certainly wasn’t trying to be racist, and I certainly would never want to offend someone for entertainment with something as stupid as racism.”
Rogan has been enmeshed in controversy since Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Arie, and other artists and podcasters decided to pull their material from Spotify after Rogan promoted COVID-19 misinformation on his show. Mary L. Trump, Trump’s niece and his detractor, had her work taken down from Spotify as well.
Spotify acquired the Joe Rogan Experience in a $100 million deal, with the platform’s point-of-view being that it’s Rogan’s publisher and doesn’t assume editorial responsibility or creative control over his work.
