Joe Rogan Joins Conservative Backlash Over Trump’s Iran War

Podcaster Joe Rogan has become the latest prominent Trump-aligned media figure to question the U.S. military campaign against Iran, saying the conflict appears inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s long-standing promises to avoid new wars.

Speaking during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan said the decision to launch joint strikes with Israel against Iran surprised many supporters who backed Trump in part because of his criticism of past U.S. military interventions. “It just seems so insane based on what he ran on. This is why a lot of people feel betrayed, right?” Rogan said.

Trump’s political movement has long emphasized avoiding new military interventions in the Middle East, with the president repeatedly promising to end what he called “endless wars.” The strikes on Iran have therefore triggered debate among some conservative media figures who previously supported that message.

Rogan expanded on the concern during his conversation with journalist Michael Shellenberger, arguing that the conflict appeared difficult to reconcile with Trump’s campaign rhetoric. “He ran on no more wars and these stupid senseless wars and then we have one that we can't even really clearly define why we did it,” Rogan said.

At another point in the discussion, Rogan pushed back on the idea that the operation could remain limited. “Listen man, they're all endless,” he said, referring to previous U.S. conflicts in the Middle East.

Rogan, whose podcast is one of the most listened-to in the United States and reaches millions of listeners on Spotify, endorsed Trump shortly before the 2024 election after hosting the candidate on his show. The appearance was widely seen as helping Trump reach younger male voters, a demographic that became central to his campaign.

But the Iran campaign has sparked visible disagreements among several prominent conservative commentators and media personalities.

Tucker Carlson, one of the most influential voices in conservative media and a figure who has faced repeated accusations of antisemitic rhetoric, sharply criticized the strikes, describing the campaign as “disgusting and evil.” Commentator Megyn Kelly, a prominent conservative podcast host and former Fox News anchor, also questioned the justification for the conflict, saying, “I would like to be better convinced that this is worth the sacrifice of American blood and treasure.”

Debate over the Iran war has also spilled into public disputes among pro-Trump media figures. In recent days, broadcaster Piers Morgan clashed with conservative commentators Dave Rubin and Ben Shapiro during a heated exchange over Israel’s role in the conflict and broader U.S. policy in the Middle East, highlighting growing divisions within the same conservative media ecosystem.

Public opinion surveys suggest many Americans expect the conflict to continue for an extended period. In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 71 percent of respondents said they believed the war would last for “months,” “about a year,” or longer.

Trump has rejected criticism from some conservative voices while arguing that the campaign will not become a drawn-out conflict. Speaking at a press conference Monday, the president described the operation as temporary. “This was just an excursion into something that had to be done,” Trump said.

The president has also dismissed criticism from prominent media figures within his own political coalition. In a recent interview, Trump said critics such as Carlson do not represent the broader movement. “MAGA is Trump MAGA’s not the other two,” he said.