Former President Donald Trump has advice for embattled podcast host Joe Rogan: “Stop apologizing.”
Rogan has apologized multiple times in recent weeks after facing mounting criticism for spreading vaccine misinformation—and more recently, for his past use of the N-word and other racial slurs—on his Spotify podcast.
“Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics,” Trump said in a news release. “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened.”
Trump is the latest conservative to voice support for Rogan and his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, which has more than 11 million daily listeners and was purchased by Spotify for $100 million last year.
Rumble, the Trump-affiliated video sharing platform, publicly offered to host Rogan’s podcast and match Spotify’s $100 million deal, though there’s no indication Rogan has interest in removing his podcast from Spotify.
On Sunday, after Rogan’s repeated use of the N-word and a story in which he compared entering a predominantly black neighborhood to the movie Planet of the Apes went viral on Twitter, Spotify removed more than 70 episodes of the podcast from the platform without explanation. CEO Daniel Ek wrote in an internal memo the same day that removing the podcasts had been Rogan’s choice.
“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
Rogan has made a point of questioning the need for coronavirus vaccines throughout much of the pandemic. Last month, a group of over 260 doctors, academics, and scientists signed an open letter urging Spotify to “immediately establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform.”
That prompted Neil Young—and later Joni Mitchell and a slew of other musicians—to demand their music be taken off the platform.
As a result, Spotify announced it was adding an advisory to podcasts that discuss the pandemic, and Rogan pledged to invite guests who promote vaccines as often as he does those who are skeptical.
“I’m going to do my best, in the future, to balance things out,” Rogan said in a Jan. 30 Instagram post.
Just a week later, Rogan apologized again about his “regretful and shameful” use of racial slurs in a separate Instagram post.
According to Trump, that’s two apologies too many.
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