‘You have to endorse him’: We finally know who was in Joe Rogan’s ear during that last-minute Trump endorsement

As time passes and journalists dig deeper into the events that led Trump to his victory at the polls, we’re getting a clearer picture of how we ended up here. One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Trump’s entire appeal was how he convinced Joe Rogan to endorse him. Well, now we finally have the answer.

President Trump’s second term is even more unhinged than anyone expected. During the campaign trail, political commentators suggested that this version of Trump was more measured and subdued. But after a fortnight of deranged executive orders and unofficial declarations about taking over sovereign states, it’s clear we’re right back where we left off. At times like this, it’s always better to examine how we got here in the first place. A lot has already been said about Trump’s increasingly worrying ties to tech titan billionaires, but not enough is being discussed about his reach within the manosphere — the “bro” in the “broligarchy,” so to speak.

On the eve of the elections, superstar podcaster Joe Rogan took to X and did something unprecedented — endorsing a major Republican candidate for president. It’s easy to forget now, but over the years, Rogan has backed liberal candidates such as Bernie Sanders and made it clear to his audience that he neither believes in celebrity political endorsements nor wants politics to dominate his show. But clearly, when Elon Musk mentioned a “vibe shift” in the makeup of your typical Republican supporter, Rogan was partly who he meant. The irony of the MAGA bros now embracing celebrity culture within their camp is also worth noting — it seems their only problem was FOMO.

The manosphere has existed in society for decades, evolving from a pushback against feminism in the ’70s to a modern outlet for podcasters to vent frustrations about society’s supposed disregard for men. Joe Rogan has long been one of the more mainstream leaders of these internet subcultures. So given his rhetoric, it was no surprise when President Trump did a slew of appearances on irreverent, bro-heavy podcasts such as Adin Ross, Barstool, Andrew Schulz, and, of course, Joe Rogan himself.

These stops were undoubtedly effective and ultimately one of the main reasons Trump managed to reach a younger voter base. In retrospect, these moves were so calculated that everyone wanted to know who orchestrated them. While Trump initially credited his son Barron, a recent Forbes report revealed that controversial UFC CEO Dana White was the mastermind. White, proud of his political connections, flaunted texts he’d received from the president and even claimed that without him, Trump wouldn’t have won. In the interview, White said:

“If we took all of that out — the walkouts at the UFC, all the stuff he did with influencers, and he’s only got Fox for the last however many years — there’s no way we win this election.”

White also clarified that although he personally leans left, he considers himself and his cohort of manosphere content creators fiercely loyal to each other. They move as a pack. When the rest of the team fell in line, it was up to Rogan — regarded as their loudest voice — to deliver the final blow.

On the penultimate day of the election, White shared that he was on a plane to Mar-a-Lago, texting Rogan and urging him to make the endorsement: “You have to endorse him,” White reportedly pressed. “Who are you voting for, Joe?” And at 9 p.m. on the eve of the election, Joe Rogan finally officially endorsed Trump.

So there you have it, folks. While they were touting themselves as an independent alternative to mainstream media, they were simply taking orders from a different guard. Ultimately, these are people banding together to boost their profiles, regardless of consequences and their own stated principles.