Was there ever a real chance Kamala Harris would sit across from Joe Rogan for three hours of unfiltered, no-holds-barred conversation? According to Rogan’s longtime friends, not a shot. Former UFC fighter and comedian friend, Brendan Schaub on The Fighter and The Kid podcast didn’t just confirm the obvious, they gave a peek behind the curtain on why it never even came close to happening.
We all knew this wasn’t happening, but just in case anyone still had doubts, co-host Bryan Callen spelled it out. “They don’t want me to ask questions, I won’t. They want a time limit, he made it so obvious that he just wanted to talk to her and see what she’s like as a person.” Turns out, even in private conversations, Rogan made it clear, he was game, but Harris’ team? Not so much.
Brendan Schaub didn’t mince words either, “Even in our private conversations and live on air, no chance she comes on. She can’t handle three hours; she’ll get absolutely destroyed cause she has to show her true colors. She would never do it.” Hurts, but also kind of true. Three hours with Joe Rogan is no joke. That’s an eternity in politician years, especially when you can’t just dip out after a rehearsed soundbite.
If you believe Harris really wanted to be on JRE, you probably also believe politicians write their own tweets. Her team allegedly wanted to schedule the interview the day after Donald Trump appeared on the show. The problem was that Rogan already had UFC 308 fight coverage lined up with his Fight Companion crew (Schaub, Callen, and Eddie Bravo). So, he countered with an 8:30 AM slot. Guess who didn’t take it?
Joe Rogan | via Imago
So, the interview didn’t happen. But don’t worry, Harris’s team still got their headline ‘Rogan wouldn’t accommodate the schedule.’ Was this a genuine attempt by Harris to reach Rogan’s audience, or was it just political theater? Schaub has thoughts. “Now they’re acting like the victim, but Rogan also said her team thought she could win no matter what. But hey guys, he’ll tell you—she wouldn’t have won if she went on Rogan, Jimmy Kimmel.”
Let’s face it, there was no winning here. If Harris showed up, she risked viral clips of her fumbling through unscripted questions. If she stayed away, she looked like she was dodging a real conversation. So, she took the lesser of two PR evils and ghosted. Meanwhile, Trump? He showed up, leaned into the chaos, and got a historic JRE episode out of it.
Did Joe Rogan play a crucial role in Donald Trump’s victory?
This is where things get interesting. Rogan famously refused to have Trump on in 2022, saying, “I don’t want to help him.” Fast-forward to 2024, and episode #2219 featuring Trump dropped like a cultural bomb. And Trump, being Trump, went straight for the jugular. “You should do the same thing, Joe, because you cannot be voting for Kamala. You’re not a Kamala person. I know you,” he told Rogan mid-podcast. The episode blew up. Millions of views. Countless debates. The internet had a meltdown. And suddenly, people were asking if Joe Rogan had just low-key influenced the election.
Rogan himself downplayed it, but his breakdown of Trump’s media genius said a lot. “I can definitely tell you—you said a lot of wild sh—! CNN, in all their brilliance, by highlighting your wild sh—, made you much more popular,” Rogan told Trump. Classic Rogan. Calling it like he sees it while sipping on an energy drink. Would a JRE appearance have helped Kamala Harris? Could it have made her relatable to the Rogan audience? Would she have pulled a Bill Burr, strolling in, owning the moment, and winning over doubters?
Probably not. Polls already show she struggles with male voters, a demographic Rogan speaks to better than most. The long-form, no-bullsh*t format could’ve given her a chance to connect, but it also could’ve exposed cracks in the carefully curated political persona.
So, in the end, Trump basked in the spotlight while Harris stayed benched. And in the media game, that might have been the deciding factor. But what about the FIGHT book’s claims that Elon Musk and Dana White had a hand in her JRE absence? A real twist or just a convenient conspiracy? Did Harris’ team drop the ball, or was this a scheduling blip blown out of proportion? Let us know what you think!
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