MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace has publicly scrutinized a group of influential podcasters, including Joe Rogan, for their role in supporting Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, only to later voice public concerns about his administration's actions. Wallace made these pointed remarks during her Tuesday broadcast of "Deadline: White House."
The Manosphere's Second Thoughts on Trump
Wallace specifically targeted figures within the so-called "manosphere," a network of online content that often emphasizes masculinity and can position itself in opposition to feminist movements. "Many people who might have associated themselves with Donald Trump, even this time last year, are already having some second thoughts and saying so publicly," Wallace stated. She argued that this shift is particularly visible within this digital sphere.
The host began her critique with comedian Theo Von, who interviewed Trump before the election and attended his inauguration. Wallace noted that Von has since publicly rebuked the Department of Homeland Security for using his likeness in a video celebrating mass deportations.
From Campaign Praise to Post-Election Backlash
Wallace then highlighted fellow comic and podcaster Andrew Schulz, a frequent guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Schulz had joked about the "end of pronouns" following Trump's November victory but clarified in July that he "voted for none of this" in reference to what he described as a big-government, pro-war agenda.
The most significant example centered on Joe Rogan himself. Wallace played a clip from Rogan's interview with Vice President JD Vance, recorded one week before the 2024 election. In the clip, Rogan praised Trump for apparently not aging, a comment Wallace later mocked. This contrasted sharply, she implied, with Rogan's subsequent decrying of "horrific" immigration raids under Trump's current term. Rogan had publicly endorsed Trump just one day before the election.
Acknowledging Influence and Expressing Disdain
Wallace was clear that her goal was not to cast these men as heroes. "I'm playing those clips because all three of them contributed to Donald Trump's victory in an important way," she asserted, acknowledging the immense reach of platforms like "The Joe Rogan Experience," which she called potentially the biggest podcast in the world.
She expressed hope that Rogan now "cringes" at his past flattery, sarcastically adding that Trump might not have aged in his first term because "he didn't work very hard." Wallace argued that the current President struggles with basic communication while planning aggressive foreign policy, and she lamented that these influencers "sucked up" to Trump and "helped him win" before developing reservations.
While Wallace said she doesn't know the intent behind their earlier supportive rhetoric, she concluded that their recent critical comments suggest they now "can't get far enough away from the stench" of what they perceive as Trump's political failures. This marks a notable shift for some voices; Rogan, for instance, endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election and challenged Trump on false election fraud claims during their 2023 interview. He has since remarked that Trump is "losing it," pointing to concerning behaviour.
