Donald Trump to Joe Rogan: Stop Apologizing to ‘Maniacs and Lunatics’

US President Donald Trump speaks during a retreat with Republican lawmakers at Camp David
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Paul Bois

Former President Donald Trump offered some tough advice to podcaster Joe Rogan on Monday amid the campaign to cancel him: stop apologizing.

“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,” the former president said in a statement. “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.

“That’s not you and it never will be!” he emphatically concluded.

Over the weekend, Rogan found himself in hot water after a video compilation surfaced of him using the N-word (sans context) multiple times on his podcast. At one point, Rogan referred to a black neighborhood as “Planet of the Apes.” Rogan immediately took to social media and apologized for his language.

“It’s not my word to use. I’m well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner,” Rogan said. “I never used it to be racist, because I’m not racist.”

“But whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say, ‘I’m not racist,’ you fucked up. And I clearly have fucked up,” he added.

Prior to that, when Spotify announced it would be adding a “content advisory” warning to all episodes that discuss topics like the coronavirus after multiple creators pulled their work from the platform of Joe Rogan, the famed podcaster said that he supported the decision and even vowed to moderate himself.

One of things Spotify wants to do, that I agree with, is that at the beginning of these controversial podcasts—specifically the ones about COVID—is to put a disclaimer and say that you should speak with your physician and that these people and the opinions that they express are contrary to the opinions of the consensus of experts, which I think is very important. Sure. Have that on there. I’m very happy with that.

Rogan also said he would include other more establishment voices in contrast to controversial guests like Dr. Robert Malone and Alex Berenson.

Despite the calls to cancel Rogan, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he would not be pulling the popular podcaster from the platform for fear of the “slippery slope” of cancel culture.

“I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote to his employees in an open letter over the weekend.

“We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”

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