Comedian and podcaster Theo Von has become the latest figure within the MAGA media sphere to publicly distance himself from President Donald Trump, citing the ongoing war in Iran and a controversial Easter social media post. During the Monday episode of his popular "This Past Weekend" podcast, Von delivered a scathing critique of the President's actions and rhetoric.
Condemnation of Easter Message
Von took particular issue with an expletive-laden post Trump shared on Truth Social on Easter Sunday. In it, Trump referred to Iranians as "crazy bastards" and demanded they "Open the Fuckin' Strait," warning they would otherwise be "living in Hell," and concluding with "JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."
"I mean, that's just, on Easter, that's unbelievable," Von stated emphatically. He elaborated on the timing, noting, "You know when people are hoping for something new. Literally on the day when people are hoping and are believing with their hearts as much as they can and are celebrating something new, a rebirth, a resurrection, a possibility. To write that? It's diabolical. It's insane."
Questioning the Iran War
Beyond the social media outburst, Von sharply criticized the rationale and impact of the U.S.-led war in Iran. He posed a direct question to his audience: "What American is this helping?"
He expanded on this point, listing ordinary citizens he believes are not served by the conflict. "Besides the war, the industrial war complex, what American, what guy who's trying to take care of his family or a single mother who's a nurse who's going to work and has to get home and get to her kid's ballgame, and has to be both parents," Von said. "What farmer is this helping? What regular person is this helping? I just don't know. I don't understand."
A Broader Sense of Disillusionment
Von described Trump's recent conduct as "fucking baffling" and suggested darker influences at play. "And it's sick, and it feels like he's just been compromised by Israel, by this dark government over there. And I don't know. It's fucking dark. It's dark," he concluded, expressing a deep sense of disillusionment.
This marks a significant shift for Von, who attended Trump's January 2025 inauguration and described the event as "inspiring" at the time. His criticism is part of a growing chorus of discontent from previously supportive media personalities.
Echoes on The Joe Rogan Experience
Von's concerns were echoed in a recent discussion on "The Joe Rogan Experience" earlier this month. On the April 2 episode, Von asked Rogan, "What do you think is going to happen? You think we're going to be OK?"
Rogan, who hosted Trump on his show two years ago and endorsed him during the 2024 election, replied, "I hope so, of course. I'm confused. I can't believe we went to this war. When we started bombing Iran, I was like, 'This can't be true.'"
Last month, Rogan noted that many of Trump's supporters felt "betrayed" by the initiation of the Iran conflict, given the President's campaign promises. "[Trump] ran on 'no more wars,' 'end these stupid, senseless wars,' and then we have one that we can't even really clearly define why we did it," Rogan stated.
Despite this criticism, Rogan made a surprise appearance in the Oval Office on April 18 when Trump signed an executive order to accelerate research into psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment—an issue the podcaster had previously advocated for with the President.
The public critiques from Von and Rogan highlight a growing rift within the pro-Trump media landscape, as key influencers grapple with the administration's foreign policy decisions and the President's combative public communications.
