Joe Rogan says efforts to get his podcast removed from Spotify during the COVID-19 pandemic went far beyond ordinary criticism. The podcast host claimed that political groups, former presidents and other influential figures pressured the platform and his sponsors over his comments about vaccines and pandemic restrictions.
Rogan made the claims during a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” where he spoke with behavior expert and author Chase Hughes about social media, influence and the challenges of dealing with powerful critics.
Rogan Says Pressure Mounted During COVID-19
Rogan said his position during the pandemic was unusual because his podcast already had a massive international audience before the controversy intensified.
“Well, the position that I was in during the COVID thing was very unique,” Rogan said.
“I had already — I’d gotten such a head start. I was so far ahead of them,” he added. “They didn’t realize my ability to say, ‘Wait, this is — this doesn’t make any sense.’ Like, none of this makes any sense.”
The podcast host faced intense criticism over his comments about COVID-19 vaccines and lockdown policies. He previously said he would not receive a COVID-19 vaccine if he were young and healthy, drawing significant backlash during the pandemic.
Rogan also said his show lost a substantial number of sponsors during that period, despite its enormous audience.
Spotify’s Global Reach Helped Protect The Podcast
According to Rogan, pressure did not come solely from individual critics. He claimed that political action committees and other organizations also contacted Spotify and sponsors in an effort to have his podcast removed.
The host argued that Spotify’s international reach gave him an important advantage.
“Thank God I was on Spotify, and thank God Spotify is not an American company,” Rogan said. “And, also, it helped that I was No. 1 in, like, 90 countries and not No. 90 in one country, you know? That helped. That helped a lot.”
That international audience, Rogan suggested, made it more difficult for critics to isolate the podcast or pressure the platform into taking it down.
Rogan Claims Former Presidents Were Involved
Rogan then made his most striking allegation, claiming that former presidents were among the officials who contacted Spotify about his show.
“I can’t even talk about it, but there [were] presidents involved — and former presidents involved — that were contacting Spotify,” Rogan said. “[They were] trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation. And it turned out to be right. All of it. Not a single [person] apologized.
“I lost a lot, a lot during those days.”
Rogan did not identify the presidents, political groups or PACs he said were involved. He also did not provide specific details about the alleged communications.
Still, he portrayed the campaign against his podcast as a coordinated effort involving numerous people and significant financial resources.
“A Lot Of Coordination” Behind The Effort
Rogan said he has avoided discussing the alleged pressure campaign in detail because of its sensitive nature.
He added “there was a lot of coordination” behind the efforts to remove his show, but said, “I don’t talk about it too much because it’s — it’s pretty — it’s pretty deep.”
The podcast host said the effort ultimately failed, despite what he described as a substantial amount of money and manpower.
“It was nuts, but it didn’t work, right?” Rogan continued. “But they tried. They spent a lot of money. A lot of money. It wasn’t a small amount of money, it wasn’t a small amount of people. It was a lot of people, and a lot of money. That part was spooky.”
However, Rogan stopped short of providing evidence or naming the individuals he believes were behind the alleged effort.
Spotify Added COVID-19 Content Advisories
The controversy surrounding Rogan’s pandemic commentary reached a peak in 2022, when criticism of his discussions about COVID-19 and vaccines intensified.
Spotify subsequently announced that it would “add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19.”
The move came after sustained debate over misinformation, platform moderation and the responsibilities of major technology companies hosting high-profile podcasts.
Rogan’s latest comments add another chapter to that controversy. His claims about political pressure, however, remain allegations, and he has not publicly identified the former presidents or other officials he says were involved.
