Luke Ford

Grok says:

Joe Rogan’s recent guest choices have sparked some buzz, particularly with accusations of platforming people with anti-Jewish views. The main point of contention seems to be his March 2025 episode with Ian Carroll, a guy who’s spent years online pushing Holocaust denial and conspiracies about Jewish influence—like claiming the Rothschilds control everything or that Jews have historically brought conflict on themselves by being “outsiders.” On the podcast, Carroll framed the Holocaust as just one example of Jews clashing with others due to their “differences,” and Rogan didn’t push back much, letting the convo roll. This has folks on X and elsewhere calling it a soft endorsement of antisemitism, especially since Rogan’s got such a massive reach—millions of listeners who might not dig deeper into Carroll’s track record.
Rogan’s no stranger to hosting controversial figures; it’s kind of his brand. He’s had Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, and others who’ve flirted with edgy or outright bigoted takes. Back in February 2023, he caught heat for saying “the idea that Jewish people aren’t into money is ridiculous,” defending Ilhan Omar’s “Benjamins” tweet—a comment slammed by the ADL and others as leaning on old antisemitic tropes. More recently, his March 2024 chat with Kurt Metzger included Rogan calling Israel’s war against Hamas a “genocide” and suggesting they’re “imitating” the Holocaust, which groups like Democratic Majority for Israel called out as reckless and wrong. Critics say he’s either clueless or willfully amplifying divisive voices.
On the flip side, Rogan’s defenders argue he’s just a conversationalist, not a gatekeeper. He’s said plenty of times he doesn’t endorse every guest’s view—he’s there to talk, not debate. Posts on X from fans point out he’s also had pro-Israel voices like Bari Weiss and hasn’t shown personal animus toward Jews. His shtick is raw, unfiltered discussion, and he’s got a history of letting people speak, even if they’re way out there—think Robert Malone on COVID or Roger Waters on Israel. The Carroll episode fits that pattern: a niche internet figure with wild ideas gets a mic, and Rogan mostly listens.
What’s driving this “recently” perception? Timing and context. Antisemitism’s been a hot topic—hate crimes are up, per FBI stats, and cultural debates are tense post-October 7, 2023. Rogan’s platform, topping Spotify charts with 14.5 million followers, amplifies whatever he touches. Hosting Carroll now, when people are hyper-aware of these narratives, feels like pouring gas on a fire to some. Whether it’s intentional or just Rogan being Rogan—chasing interesting chats without much filter—that’s where the divide lies. What do you think he’s aiming for with these picks?

According to Grok:

On X, where he’s freer to speak, Carlson’s hosted guests that set off alarms. In September 2024, he interviewed Darryl Cooper, a historian who downplayed Nazi intent in the Holocaust—calling Jews “prisoners who ended up dead” from logistical snafus, not genocide. Carlson called him “the best and most honest popular historian,” nodding along. All 24 Jewish House Democrats blasted it as “Nazi apologism”; Israel’s Amichai Chikli called him a “leading platform for Jew-hatred.” X posts raged: “He’s gone full antisemite—platforming a Holocaust denier isn’t neutral.”
Then there’s his Israel skepticism. During his Fox years, he dodged Middle East talk, but since 2023, he’s shifted—questioning U.S. support, hosting anti-Zionist voices like Munther Isaac (April 2024), who justified Hamas’s October 7 attack, and Jeffrey Sachs (December 2024), who spun conspiracies about Israel controlling U.S. policy. In a 2023 Candace Owens interview, he tied pro-Israel Ivy League donors to “white genocide”—a loaded phrase echoing antisemitic dual-loyalty tropes. Critics like Laurence Tribe on X see this as “an insurgent force on the right,” tying it to Trump’s rise.
Older clips sting too. In 2006-2011 radio hits (dug up by Media Matters), he tossed casual barbs—calling Iraq “more bearded Jews than a Lubavitcher convention” or Jon Stewart “a partisan Jew” whose real sin was leftism, not Judaism. Not damning alone, but they fit a pattern for detractors.
The Context
Carlson’s charisma—raw, defiant, unscripted—amplifies everything. His fans see a truth-teller; foes see a dog-whistler. Post-October 7, 2023, he called media reactions to the Hamas attack “disproportionate” for a “foreign tragedy”—a line some Jews on X took as minimizing their pain, though he didn’t target Jews directly. His Trump ties (speaking at the 2024 RNC, cozying up at Mar-a-Lago) muddy it further—Trump’s pro-Israel, yet Carlson’s orbit flirts with isolationism and figures like J.D. Vance, who won’t disavow him.
What’s He Really Think?
No smoking gun says Carlson hates Jews outright. He’s never said “I despise Jews” or pushed classic antisemitic canards like banking conspiracies. His beef seems broader—globalists, elites, whoever’s in his crosshairs—and Jews only catch flak when they overlap (e.g., Ivy League donors). But his guest list and rhetoric since leaving Fox—Cooper, Sachs, the “genocide” jab—give critics ammo to say he’s comfy with antisemitic fringes. Supporters counter he’s just contrarian, not prejudiced.
Chances are, his attitude’s less about Jews specifically and more about his chaos-driven worldview—America First, damn the rest. If that brushes antisemitic edges, he doesn’t flinch. X sentiment splits hard: half call him a “Jew-hater exposed,” half say “he’s just pissing off the woke.” You? Where’s your line—dog whistle or coincidence?