Joe Rogan said that there is “no clear way” to end Donald Trump’s ongoing war with Iran, which he called an “unprovoked attack” by the United States.
The popular podcaster made the remarks during an episode of his show, released on Friday, with Annie Jacobsen, an investigative journalist, who was brought on to discuss her new book, Biological War: A Scenario.
After discussing the government’s handling of Covid-19 and the possibility of future pandemics, Rogan turned to the conflict in the Middle East, which has now dragged on for five months with no clear end in sight.
“How much does this Iran thing freak you out?” the comedian asked Jacobsen, who has written multiple books about the U.S. military.
Jacobsen called the war “terrible,” “unnecessary” and the opposite of what the Department of Defense was designed for. She then pointed to a “big shift” that occurred during the Iraq war, which she said left soldiers feeling “used” and led to “a fundamental warping of what the military is.”
“Yeah, without a doubt,” Rogan responded. “And also no clear way to resolve this at all. And it seems like our stockpiles are running dry…bases are getting blown up by drones.”
Both the host and guest also lamented what they described as coverage of the war that has focused on its financial cost — rather than its human toll.
To date, 18 U.S. service members have been killed and hundreds have been wounded, the Pentagon has said. President Donald Trump has framed the American death toll in the war — which he says is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — as relatively low compared to past conflicts.
As of March, 3,636 people have been killed in Iran, nearly half of whom were civilians, Reuters reported, citing human rights group HRANA.
“And also the real problem is it makes America an enemy,” Rogan continued. “And it makes us less safe because America has done this thing — this unprovoked attack — and so now they have a reason to attack back.”
Multiple recent polls indicate many Americans are on the same page. In an AP-NORC survey released last month, nearly two-thirds of respondents said the conflict has not been worth fighting.
Rogan, one of the world’s most popular podcasters, endorsed Trump on the eve of the 2024 election.
Since Trump returned to office, the comedian has openly criticized him on multiple occasions, including over his immigration crackdown and the Epstein files. During an interview with JD Vance earlier this month, the vice president admitted the administration had “mishandled” the release of the files.
