Did YouTube censor Donald Trump's 3-hour podcast with Joe Rogan? Here's the truth as netizens fume
Donald Trump on Friday appeared on the most-awaited interview with Joe Rogan in podcast host's studio in Austin, Texas.
Donald Trump on Friday appeared on the most-awaited interview with Joe Rogan in podcast host's studio in Austin, Texas. The episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” (JRE) was uploaded to Spotify and YouTube late Friday. However, a strange incident occurred –- the video was unlisted from YouTube for a short term, leaving several viewers perplexed.
Rogan, who hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the world, has over 17 million YouTube subscribers and 14.5 million Spotify followers. The crucial Trump and Rogan discussion covered a wide range of cultural and political issues, and continued for nearly three hours that caused a major delay in Trump's planned speech in Traverse City, Michigan ahead of the 5 November election.
The internet was ablaze with excitement when Trump sat down for an episode of The JRE as fans had been demanding Rogan to interview him. This came despite the fact that Rogan previously asserted that “I'm not a Trump supporter, in any way, shape, or form.” However, the situation seemed to change in 2022 following Rogan's remarks on the Lex Fridman podcast and the former president was recently mentioned on JRE episode number 2219.
Why was Trump’s Podcast with Joe Rogan unlisted on YouTube? ask netizens
The JRE has been gaining an enormous number of views ever since Rogan rejoined the platform after ending his exclusive deal with Spotify. Now, many are wondering why his most talked-about interview with Trump was temporarily removed from YouTube?
In the YouTube comments section, some viewers quickly vented out their anger by asking, “Why is this unlisted? Make it public so we can break the internet!” Others even questioned, “So why the secrecy?”
In the comments section, one person hinted that Rogan's deal with Spotify might be the reason behind it. Surprisingly, the user was correct! The YouTube version was reinstated as soon as the episode was released on Spotify.
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Joe Rogan issues clarification
Meanwhile, Rogan himself provided a clarification after a number of social media users accused YouTube of censoring his interview with Trump. In a post on X, the host stated that “there is no issue”.
“There is no issue with YouTube censoring the Trump episode. It was just supposed to go live on both Spotify and YouTube at the same time and there was a glitch in Spotify’s upload system and so we delisted the YouTube link until it’s fixed. It should be fine now,” Rogan wrote.
Trump has recently distanced himself from certain big networks, preferring to use YouTube broadcasts and Logan Paul's “Impaulsive” show. The ex-President appears to be trying to expand his audience, especially among younger and more independent voters, who are a large portion of Rogan's audience.
The JRE podcast maintains a special place in the current media atmosphere, claims Edison Research. While male population makes up 80% of his audience, he has listeners from all political parties, including Democrats and Republicans. This gives upper hand to Rogan's platform, which is particularly beneficial for candidates hoping to win over undecided voters before Election Day. It could also be essential for Trump's team to connect with this diverse audience as election day draws near.