Overview
- Joe Rogan denounced California Gov. Gavin Newsom on The Joe Rogan Experience on Thursday, calling him a “f—king con man” and “a cardboard cutout of a person.”
- Hours after the episode, Newsom’s press office posted an all-caps taunt on X that called Rogan a “LITTLE GUY,” said he was “too chicken” to host him, and publicly invited an on-air interview.
- No taping has been scheduled and no further response from Rogan was reported in the coverage reviewed Friday.
- Rogan’s critiques draw on years of friction over California’s COVID rules, which he cited when leaving the state for Austin in 2020, including complaints about vaccine mandates for kids and a mask flap involving Newsom.
- Newsom’s team has leaned into a Trump-mimicking, all-caps style on social media as he builds a national profile before term limits end his governorship in 2026, while Rogan’s vast reach on Spotify and YouTube magnifies the feud, with Fox News casting the clip as resurfaced and other outlets citing a fresh Thursday episode.