‘Insane': Joe Rogan turns on Donald Trump over immigration raids
Joe Rogan says the Trump administration's immigration raids on workplaces are 'insane', declaring the federal government would be better off targeting 'cartel members,' 'gang members' and 'drug dealers.'
The hugely popular podcaster also said during Wednesday's episode of the Joe Rogan Experience that he didn't agree with the administration's detention of a green card holder and a graduate student over criticism of Israel.
Joe Rogan said the Trump administration's immigration raids on workplaces that have resulted in roundups of undocumented laborers are 'insane.' Picture: YouTube
Rogan offered up his comments as the Trump administration resumed and intensified rounding up undocumented labourers, reversing a brief mid-June pause that had applied to sectors like agriculture, hospitality and food processing.
Despite earlier assurances that these industries might receive temporary relief, ICE has carried out large-scale enforcement actions — including at meat packing plants and restaurants — detaining over 100,000 individuals in June.
Business leaders have warned the raids will lead to severe labour shortages.
'It's insane,' Rogan said during a chat with tech entrepreneur Amjad Masad.
'We were told there would be no — well, there's two things that are insane.
One is the targeting of migrant workers. Not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up in construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?'
100 undocumented immigrants arrested on Florida construction site. Picture: X/HSI Tampa
National Guard soldiers stand guard at a federal building in Los Angeles as protesters held a "No Kings Day" demonstration, which has been the focus of protests against Trump's immigration raids. Picture: AFP
Masad responded: 'Yeah, I don't know what you think of the new administration. Certainly, there are things that I like about it, some of their pro-tech posture and things like that. But what's happening now is — it's kind of disappointing.'
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin refuted their assertions.
'The official data tells the real story: an overwhelming majority of ICE arrests were criminal illegal aliens with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
Further, many illegal aliens categorised as 'non-criminals' are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members and worse — they just don't have a rap sheet in the US.
This deceptive 'non-criminal' categorisation is devoid of reality and misleads the American public.
Police deploy tear gas while clearing a street in front of City Hall. Picture: AFP
'Secretary (Kristi) Noem has unleashed the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to target the worst of the worst — including gang members, murderers, and rapists.
We are putting the American people first by removing illegal aliens who pose a threat to our communities.'
Masad, a Jordanian-born software engineer and CEO of coding platform Replit, went on to slam immigration enforcement actions on college campuses against anti-Israel protesters.
'Did you see this video of this Turkish student at Tufts University that wrote an essay and then there's video of like, ICE agents, like –'
Rogan interjected, 'Is that the woman?'
Masad replied, 'Yeah, yeah.'
Rogan asked, 'Yeah. What was her essay about? It was just critical of Israel, right?'
'Just critical of Israel, yeah,' Masad confirmed.
Rogan responded, 'And that's enough to get you kicked out of the country.'
Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by federal officials in Massachusetts in March and held in a Louisiana facility for weeks after the Department of Homeland Security claimed she supported Hamas in an op-ed for the campus newspaper.
Rogan was conversing with tech entrepreneur Amjad Masad. Picture: YouTube
In May, a federal judge blocked her deportation, calling the detention baseless.
She was released and allowed to return to Tufts while her deportation case proceeds in the courts.
Rogan also referenced the case of Mahmoud Khalil, the Syrian-born Palestinian and US permanent resident and graduate student at Columbia University.
Khalil, who was a leader of pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia's campus, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March after the Trump administration cited alleged false information on his green card application.
The administration, which alleged that Khalil's campus activities posed a threat to US foreign policy, also invoked a rarely used immigration law to cite as the basis for his deportation.
Khalil was held for more than 100 days at a Louisiana detention facility before he was released on June 20.
A White House rep defended the administration's actions pertaining to Khalil and Ozturk.
'Receiving a visa to study in the United States is a privilege not a right. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight to remove dangerous aliens who pose a risk to American security and interests, and have no right to be in this country,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Post.
A law enforcement officer fires a less-lethal projectile during a protest in Los Angeles. Picture: AFP
Rogan, who commands an audience of roughly 10 million listeners — most of whom are young men — publicly endorsed Trump for president on the eve of the 2024 election, calling Elon Musk's case for Trump 'the most persuasive argument' and stating, 'I concur with him at every turn.'
Though once a vocal critic of Trump, Rogan's support marked a major shift that the Trump campaign touted as a significant win with young male voters.
Last month, Rogan advocated for a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants who live and work in the US without breaking the law.
'Yeah maybe you shouldn't have snuck in,' Rogan said at the time.
'But you did it, and you're not breaking any laws and you're a hardworking person. Those people need a path to citizenship, man. Because if you don't, then they're just preyed upon.'
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
Originally published as 'Insane': Joe Rogan turns on Donald Trump over immigration raids
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The UN human rights office has recorded 613 killings near humanitarian convoys and at aid distribution points in Gaza run by an Israeli-backed American organisation since it began operations in late May. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said "it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points" operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). She said it was not immediately clear how many of those killings had taken place at GHF sites, and how many occurred near convoys. Speaking to reporters at a regular briefing, Shamdasani said the figures covered the period from May 27 to June 27, and "there have been further incidents" since then. She said she was basing the information on an internal situation report at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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The UN human rights office has recorded 613 killings near humanitarian convoys and at aid distribution points in Gaza run by an Israeli-backed American organisation since it began operations in late May. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said "it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points" operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). She said it was not immediately clear how many of those killings had taken place at GHF sites, and how many occurred near convoys. Speaking to reporters at a regular briefing, Shamdasani said the figures covered the period from May 27 to June 27, and "there have been further incidents" since then. She said she was basing the information on an internal situation report at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Shamdasani said the figures, compiled through its standard vetting processes, were not likely to tell a complete picture, and "we will perhaps never be able to grasp the full scale of what's happening here because of the lack of access" for UN teams to the areas. "Information keeps coming in," she said. "This is ongoing and it is unacceptable." The GHF has denied any serious injuries or deaths on its sites and says shootings outside their immediate vicinity are under the purview of Israel's military. More deaths reported near aid distribution sites occurred overnight on Friday, according to officials in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. At least three Palestinians were killed near aid sites in Rafah, which is close to two operated by GHF. Another 17 were killed waiting for trucks to pass by in eastern Khan Younis in the Tahliya area.
