Even Joe Rogan calls Trump's Iran war 'insane.' Wake up, MAGA. | Opinion

Podcaster and man-somewhat-responsible-for-why-we’re-in-this-mess Joe Rogan has looked at President Donald Trump’s war-of-choice with Iran and declared it “insane” and a betrayal.

The war is, without question, both those things. So congratulations to President Trump on getting me, other liberals, and a strong majority of independent voters who think this war is folly to wholeheartedly agree with the man-o-sphere podcasting dude who helped get you elected.

Now it’s time for Trump’s MAGA base to again pay attention to their man, Rogan.

Joe Rogan: 'A lot of people feel betrayed'

During his March 10 show, the podcaster said of the war: “It just seems so insane, based on what he ran on. I mean, this is why a lot of people feel betrayed, right? He ran on no more wars, end these stupid, senseless wars, and then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it.” 

It pains me to say this, but Rogan just offered some of the most concise political analysis I’ve heard since America and Israel started bombing the snot out of Iran, dragging U.S. troops into a Middle East war with no clear purpose or justification and putting the world on the edge of an energy crisis.

So. Insane.

Joe Rogan helped Trump get elected, and now he knows he was duped

Rogan, one of the biggest and most influential podcasters out there, endorsed Trump right before the 2024 election and gave him a friendly platform to pitch himself to millions of “The Joe Rogan Experience” listeners.

But now he’s getting a taste of Trump’s specialty: betrayal.

Rogan and a myriad of right-wing squawkers like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly sane-washed the current president during the campaign, wholly ignoring the fact that the man lies like a rug and shoots out empty promises like a modified, fully automatic Pez dispenser.

Anyone who thinks Trump cares about Americans is a fool

Carlson has called Trump’s attack on Iran “disgusting and evil” and Kelly posted on social media, “I honestly can’t believe we’re doing this again,” which is funny because those of us who haven’t had our brains boiled in a simmering MAGA stew honestly can’t believe people like Carlson and Kelly and Rogan are this dumb.

Plenty of people, myself included, have been saying to MAGA voters for years: TRUMP DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU! He cares about himself, he does whatever feels right in the moment, he lies so as to never admit anything he has done is wrong, then he moves on to the next bit of self-serving chaos.

A lot of Americans get this, as evidenced by polls that consistently show Trump’s low approval rating and, on the subject of Iran, a tsunami of opposition to war. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 89% of Democrats and 60% of independents oppose Trump's military action in Iran.

C'mon, MAGA. Be more like Joe Rogan and acknowledge the betrayal.

But among Republicans, 85% support the war. They still don’t get it. They still think Trump has their best interests at heart, even as gas prices spike and food prices remain high, and the president’s tariffs take money out of their pockets, and Trump brushes off the deaths of U.S. soldiers. 

To the MAGA loyalists out there, let me put this as subtly as I can: If freakin’ Joe Rogan can figure out and admit that he has been betrayed, if a meathead podcaster can acknowledge that what we’re seeing from Trump is insane, you can too.

Soldiers are dying for no reason. We’re spending billions of dollars on something Trump promised not to do. It’s time to admit your boy played you. Don’t let Rogan seem like the only smart one in the room.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk