Podcast host Joe Rogan speaking to filmmaker Zack Snyder in March 2024 (Image: Screengrab)
President Donald Trump controversially renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America as part of his escalating trade war against Canada — and pro-Trump podcaster Joe Rogan has a theory why.
"The real reason Trump made the move, Rogan said, is to 'distract you from the fact that we’re in a war that we can’t win in Iran,'" according to a report by The Daily Beast's Eboni Boykin-Patterson. "Rogan went on to assert that the renaming 'doesn’t make any sense' otherwise. 'Like, who cares? It’s Lake Ontario. It’s a good name. We’ve had that name forever.'"
The Daily Beast provided further detail on why Rogan's criticism of Trump is so important — and why there are also limits to its significance.
"Rogan, who endorsed Trump in 2024, may have made it known that he was one of many Americans who find the renaming pointless—but that doesn’t mean he’s come to his senses," The Daily Beast wrote. "The podcaster also dedicated a portion of his show to peddling more conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccine. He echoed Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s revival of an old and inaccurate theory that the vaccine increases the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester."
The Daily Beast added, "The theory gained traction after senators released text messages during their investigation into the former COVID czar that showed Fauci expressing apprehension during the shots’ early rollout."
Even so, Rogan's separation from Trump on the issue demonstrates that he has lost his populist touch in getting supporters to believe anything he says, at least according to one analyst.
"Throughout his political career, Trump’s signature skill has been to drive the conversation where he wanted it to go. He declares victory when things have not been won," wrote Slate's Ben Jacobs on Monday. "He ducks attribution with the rhetorical tic 'many people are saying,' frequently followed by things that people are decidedly not saying. He posts outrageous graphics on social media. And, of course, he renames things: Political opponents get nicknames, buildings get Trump’s name, and bodies of water get America’s name."
Speaking with AlterNet in August, cult expert Dr. Steven Hassan explained how Trump's cult-like hold on his followers could weaken when acolytes like Rogan began to part ways with him.
"So if they really love Joe Rogan, they're going to follow a lot of his views. And consequently, when he turns against Trump, Trump loses a lot of followers,"