Has Joe Rogan Drifted From Trump? His ‘Gestapo’ Remark Sparks Debate Over Immigration Policy

Joe Rogan’s comparison of recent U.S. immigration raids to “Gestapo” tactics, made on his podcast this week, has reignited discussion about whether the influential host — who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024 — is growing uneasy with hardline immigration enforcement and what that might signal for his millions of listeners.

Context And Why It Matters

The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the largest podcasts in the United States and often functions as a cultural barometer. Rogan’s comments matter because he reaches a broad, politically diverse audience and has a reputation as an “everyman” whose views don’t fit neatly on the left–right spectrum.

The Podcast Exchange

During a nearly three-hour conversation with Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rogan asked:

“Are we really going to be the Gestapo? ‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?”

His remark provoked headlines, but the full exchange was more nuanced: Rogan explicitly said he could “see both perspectives,” acknowledging conservative worries about unchecked illegal immigration while warning against militarized enforcement that risks harming people who may simply lack paperwork.

The Minneapolis Incident

The discussion centered on the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was serving as a volunteer “legal observer” and monitoring an ICE operation in Minneapolis. Video of the encounter shows Good driving away after a brief verbal exchange with agents; an ICE agent fired through the vehicle’s windows. The incident quickly became a political flashpoint, with progressives calling her death a tragedy and some in the Trump administration and right-leaning commentators saying the agent acted in self-defense. Reporting by the Minnesota Star Tribune says the same agent was dragged roughly 300 feet last year while attempting to detain a motorist.

Broader Reactions

Media outlets including CNN and The Hill framed Rogan’s comment as a potential break with Trump’s immigration stance, but Rogan’s tone remained ambivalent rather than overtly oppositional. He repeated a claim common on the right — that the Biden administration has allowed high levels of illegal immigration for political advantage — while also acknowledging New York Times reporting that frames many problems at the border as the result of mismanagement rather than a deliberate conspiracy.

Rogan’s response fits a broader pattern: several prominent podcasters and commentators who at one time supported Trump — including Theo Von and Andrew Schulz — have publicly distanced themselves from aspects of Trump-era immigration policy. Some conservative voices have also expressed unease; for example, Tucker Carlson recently criticized the killing of Renee Good and urged conservatives to consider the human impact of enforcement actions.

What This Means

Rogan’s remarks highlight growing political friction over immigration enforcement among audiences that are not strictly partisan. Whether his comments foreshadow a meaningful shift in his political stance, or simply reflect a more nuanced public conversation, remains unclear. What is evident is that the debate over the balance between border enforcement and civil liberties continues to fracture conventional political alliances.

Note: This article summarizes public remarks and reporting; investigations into the Minneapolis shooting and related claims are ongoing.