Podcaster Joe Rogan said he understands why many Americans are angry about how President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out immigration enforcement during its latest push.
“You don’t want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching up people — many of which turn out to be U.S. citizens that just don’t have their papers on them,” Rogan said on Tuesday’s episode of his show, a remark he framed around the use of additional security forces to support enforcement efforts.
Rogan added, “Are we really gonna be the Gestapo, ‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?” Speaking with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), he argued immigration debates are “more complicated than anyone wants to admit.”
The comments come after a flashpoint in Minnesota: Renée (Renee) Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis-area woman, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7 during a federal operation. Federal officials have defended the agent’s actions as self-defense, while local and state officials have raised sharp concerns and protests have grown in the days since.
Rogan, who has a large audience—especially among young men—has publicly broken with Trump on several issues in recent months, after previously voicing support during the 2024 campaign. Trump also appeared on Rogan’s podcast for a lengthy interview shortly before the 2024 election.
