Joe Rogan quips that people who lost their businesses during COVID-19 should ‘vote Republican’

Joe Rogan joked that people who lost their businesses during COVID-19 shutdowns should ‘vote Republican,’ while praising Ron Desantis’ decision to keep Florida open during the pandemic and mocking President Biden.

Rogan made the quip on a Saturday episode of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience while speaking with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers – an outspoken critic of COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines.

The two were discussing how mass business closures caused by severe pandemic shutdown measures motivated droves of Americans to begin voting Republican.

‘I’m hoping that, now that this is over, people are going to recognize that some serious errors were made and not repeat those. That’s the best you can get out of it,’ Rogan said, ‘As far as compensation for people that were forced to close their businesses and keep their doors shuttered and lost everything they worked for decades to build, no, they’re just going to be angry. ‘

‘So what do you tell those people?’ Rodgers asked.

‘Vote Republican,’ Rogan said, ‘That’s what a lot of them are going to do anyway.

He then quoted a June Associate Press report which found more than 1million people across 43 states switched to the Republican party between 2021 and 2022.

Rogan and Rodgers also mocked President Biden during the podcast, joking that he was the ‘most popular president in history.’

‘Yeah, he’s the best,’ Rogan said, ‘I mean, there’s no one better. He’s best at talking. He’s best at walking up stairs.’

‘Good handshaker,’ Rodgers added.

‘He’s good at riding bikes,’ Rogan said, ‘He shakes hands with ghosts.’

Rogan derided California lockdown procedures, characterizing them as optics-driven measures with no real purpose other than to make the public think officials were doing something.

‘Remember when they made a decision to close outdoor dining?’ Rogan said. ‘And it turned out that one of the people that made that decision, the day she did it, went out and was dining outdoors?’

‘This was a decision that this politician decided to make – this bureaucrat – decided to make to show that they were doing something.’

He then went on to Praise Desantis’ relaxed lockdown policies which focused on keep the vulnerable safe while allowing others to do what they wanted.  

‘You look at guys like Ron Desantis who kept Florida open and had some pretty reasonable policies about what to do about COVID,’ Rogan said.

‘He was widely criticized for this. Where he was saying we need to protect our elders, we need to make sure that medical care is available for those people, and everyone else, you should be able to do whatever you want to do, protect your freedom.’

Though Rogan has long insisted that he is a liberal, in a June episode of his podcast he said Gov. Desantis would make a ‘good president’ while speculating on potential 2024 candidates.

‘I think Ron DeSantis would work as a good president,’ Rogan said, ‘I mean, what he’s done for Florida has been admirable.’

On another episode weeks earlier however, Rogan insisted he was liberal.

‘I’m so liberal, I talk about it all the time. I’m not a conservative, I’m not conservative.’ Rogan said.

He made those comments while discussing how Fox News was the only outlet that supported him during controversy surrounding his COVID-19 views and COVID conspiracy theorists he had as guests on his podcast.