Anti-Trump comedian Kathy Griffin has escalated her attacks on prominent cultural figures, this time accusing podcast titan Joe Rogan of being a covert force on the right who is allegedly persuading men to reject COVID-19 vaccination.
During an appearance on the "In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele" podcast, Griffin recounted a recent street encounter with a critic whom she claimed was armed with "Joe Rogan-talking points," according to Fox News. "He's trying to convince me of all of Joe's, like, conspiracy theories and all of his weird supplements and his popping veins," Griffin said, portraying Rogans influence as both ideological and quasi-medical.
Griffin told listeners she knew Rogan as a fellow comic "back in the day" and suggested he has since evolved into a powerful cultural figure aligned with the right. "I knew Joe back in the day when he had hair and was a comic and I liked him, and he was nice, but now hes turned into this really powerful, very much he doesnt say it but right-wing guy who platforms right-wing people, and bros really believe him," she said.
She went further, directly blaming Rogan for vaccine hesitancy among men who listen to his show. "The straight bros, they are not getting vaccinated because of Dr. Joe Rogan," Griffin claimed, casting his audience as easily swayed and implicitly irresponsible.
Fox News Digital reported that Rogans publicist was contacted for comment but did not immediately respond. While Griffin repeatedly labeled Rogan a "right-wing guy," his political record is more complex than her caricature suggests.
Rogan previously endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic primary and has hosted guests from across the political spectrum, including Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, whom he once urged to consider a presidential run. At the same time, he has sharply challenged progressive orthodoxy on issues such as allowing biological males to compete in womens sports, a stance more aligned with conservative concerns about fairness and reality-based policy.
Griffins latest remarks about Rogan came on the heels of her urging fans to identify their "MAGA" neighbors in order to determine "whos on our team." "I live in Los Angeles. Its happening at targeted places in Los Angeles," Griffin said on her show "Talk Your Head Off with Kathy Griffin."
"And I think its time to talk to the neighbors in real life. Its time to talk to your neighbors, find out if theyre MAGA or not," she added, framing political sorting at the neighborhood level as a necessary step. "Sorry, but we have to know whos on our team and start to plan," Griffin said, before describing what she characterized as organized, encrypted networks among her followers. "Is there a way we can do something as a community? When I hear from my followers in Minnesota, they describe a very sophisticated channel of a system of things that they do to help one another. And they use encrypted apps and, like I said, everyone has whistles and honks their horn, but they organize in small groups."
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