Joe Rogan has turned down numerous requests from Donald Trump’s camp to interview the former president on his popular Spotify podcast, according to a report.
Rogan has stated he is not a Trump supporter and that he has no desire to give the 45th president a platform — even though a large chunk of the podcaster’s 11 million listeners do support the Republican front-runner.
However, after the two were seen shaking hands during a recent UFC fight in Las Vegas, Trump urged his advisers to explore further avenues for a sit-down, The Daily Beast reported.
One of Trump’s informal advisers, Roger Stone, has reportedly offered to engage Rogan in a UFC-style cage match in hopes of forcing the podcaster to interview the former president, according to the news site.
“The mere discussion of Donald Trump on a blockbuster podcast like Joe Rogan builds a remarkable audience,” a Trump adviser told The Daily Beast.
“Perhaps the only person bigger in the new media world than Joe Rogan is Donald Trump and the whole idea that the two of them would be together at long last — it would be an incredible audience.”
Trump recently appeared on the “Full Send” podcast, whose YouTube page counts more than 2 million subscribers.
The “Full Send” interview with Trump generated millions of views, though the YouTube video of it was removed by parent company Alphabet because the former president repeated his claims that the 2020 presidential election was fixed.
Rogan, who has faced his own criticism for spouting COVID conspiracies, has said in the past he has no desire to indulge Trump.
“I’m not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form,” Rogan told podcaster Lex Fridman last year.
“I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once. I’ve said no every time. I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.”
On his own podcast last year, Rogan referred to Trump as a “man baby” while speculating that the current Republican frontrunner may be using Adderall.
Nonetheless, Trump isn’t taking the snub to heart, according to The Daily Beast.
“The president listens to Rogan,” one Trump adviser told the news site.
“I don’t think the president takes Rogan’s criticism personally, and really, in the end, Donald Trump would listen to a non-politician with some mild criticism more than a politician that kisses his ass.”
The Post has sought comment from Trump and Rogan.