How stunned Joe Rogan reacted to Trump and Musk war in real time during Kash Patel interview
It was supposed to be just another no-holds-barred conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience, but what unfolded in real time stunned even Joe Rogan himself.
Midway through the recording of Rogan's high-profile interview with FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday afternoon, chaos was erupting on social media.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk, once the closest of political allies and collaborators, were detonating their relationship in a flurry of public insults, threats, and finally, an explosive accusation that would leave political world gasping.
'Jesus Christ,' Rogan muttered, his eyes widening as he read aloud Musk's now-infamous post: 'Time to drop the really big bomb. Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That's the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!'
The podcast had already been knee-deep in a discussion of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 's shadowy network, when Rogan's producer put up Musk's incendiary post on the screen.
It was an accusation aimed squarely at Trump, dragging him into the murky world of Epstein's infamous island and the so-called 'Epstein files' - flight logs and documents long rumored to implicate the powerful and well-connected.
'I'm not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and Trump,' Patel said immediately, distancing himself from the explosive spat.
But Rogan couldn't look away.
'Someone should take his phone away,' Rogan muttered, incredulous. 'Jesus Christ that's a crazy thing to say. How does he know? Does he have access to the Epstein files?'
Patel remained calm but firmly replied: 'I don't know how he would. But I'm staying out of it. That's way outside my lane.'
Still in disbelief Rogan added: 'What the f*** are they doing?'
The Musk-Trump row had been simmering for days, but few expected it to erupt so spectacularly.
'I understand he owns Twitter, but I think it's bad for your mental health,' Rogan said moments later.
'Posting all day and arguing with people all day - that can't be good for you.'
'I know my lane and that ain't it,' Patel said again, staying as far from the blast zone as possible.
Hours earlier, at a White House meeting, Trump had lashed out at Musk's blistering critique of his prized 'Big Beautiful Bill,' calling the Tesla founder 'very disappointing.'
From there, the tit-for-tat escalated with breathtaking speed.
Musk upped the ante by threatening to back a third-party challenger, a nightmare scenario for Republican strategists.
Trump, never one to back down, retaliated by publicly musing about cancelling Musk's multi-billion-dollar government contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense.
By Friday, as word of the Musk-Trump implosion spread, Washington seemed to be in full crisis mode.
Senior Republicans scrambled to contain the damage, fearful that the spectacle could derail crucial legislation, including Trump's controversial tax and border spending bill, which Musk had labeled an 'abomination.'
'I hope it doesn't distract us from getting the job done,' Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) told reporters nervously.
Others practically begged for a reconciliation. 'When the two of them are working together, we get a lot more done,' Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Fox News.
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted a photo collage of Trump and Musk, pleading: 'Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?'
But Trump, in true Trump fashion, showed no interest in extending an olive branch.
'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' he scoffed when asked about Musk during a phone interview with ABC News. 'I'm not particularly interested in talking to him.'
Later, aboard Air Force One en route to his Bedminster golf club, Trump struck a more detached tone.
'Honestly, I've been so busy working on China, Russia, Iran... I'm not thinking about Elon Musk. I just wish him well,' he told reporters, even as aides privately fumed that Musk's accusations could inflict serious damage.
Still, the president couldn't resist one last jab: 'He's lost it.'
The political earthquake was soon matched by a financial one.
Tesla's stock plummeted more than 14% on Thursday amid the very public feud, wiping out nearly $100 billion in market value before recovering slightly by Friday.
At the White House, aides whispered that Trump was considering getting rid of the bright red Tesla Model S he famously purchased earlier this year, a symbol of the bromance that once was.
Musk is seen jumping on stage as he joined Donald Trump during a campaign rally last October
'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official confirmed.
Meanwhile, Musk remained unusually quiet on Friday, steering clear of his usual rapid-fire posting on X, the platform he owns and has aggressively reshaped.
For Trump, Musk's financial and political support had been crucial.
The billionaire donated nearly $300 million to Trump's 2024 campaign. But Musk, too, has much to lose.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
AP PHOTOS: Protesters tear-gassed in Los Angeles after federal immigration arrests
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Jared Leto accused of sexual misconduct by MULTIPLE women... and several were allegedly minors
Jared Leto is facing allegations from nine women of inappropriate behavior, including with teenage girls. The frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars and star of films including House Of Gucci and Suicide Squad, 53, is alleged to have inflicted the behavior on them over the course of nearly two decades, and the accusations involve women who say they were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents. According to an exposé published by Air Mail, the claims, which have apparently circulated in Hollywood for years, have now been brought into the open, with one woman stating to the outlet: 'It's been an open secret for a long time.' The accusations came to light after Los Angeles–based DJ Allie Teilz, 30, re-shared a 2012 Facebook post on her Instagram Stories, in which she alleged Leto assaulted her when she was 17. 'You're not really in LA until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… in a kilt… And a snow hat,' she claimed. 'I was assaulted and traumatized by this creep when I was 17.' She further alleged that Leto — who was previously called out by other Hollywood stars for being 'full of himself' — 'knew' her age but 'didn't care,' describing his actions as 'predatory, terrifying and unacceptable.' The accusations in a story by Air Mail include allegations of sexual assault, while others claim Leto made unwanted sexual advances at them, ever after he allegedly knew they were underage; pictured in September 2024 in Paris Reps for Leto haven't yet responded to request for comment. A second woman, whose name was not revealed, told Air Mail that Leto approached her in 2006 when she was 16 at Urth Caffé in Los Angeles. At the time, he was allegedly visiting the popular cafe with Ashley Olsen, whom he had been rumored to be in a relationship with at the time. 'I looked down and it was Jared Leto. We had a quick conversation, and he got my number,' she claimed. The woman alleged that he called her days later, adding: 'I don't know if he was on drugs or what… it was the weirdest, grossest voice… [but] for me, it's Jared, you know?' The woman alleged their late-night conversations 'turned sexual,' and she claimed that Leto asked questions including, 'Have you ever had a boyfriend?' and 'Have you ever sucked a d***?' Model Laura La Rue, 33, also alleged that she met Leto in 2008, when she was 16 and he was 36, at a Yes! on Prop Two animal rights benefit. 'He asked how old I was,' she alleged. 'I said, "I'm 16. How old are you?"' La Rue claimed Leto still asked for her number despite knowing her age, and she said he later invited her to his Los Angeles home, where he was 'flirting' and 'teasing [her] the whole time [she] was there.' Leto's representative denied all of the women's accounts in a statement to Air Mail: 'Their communications contain nothing sexual or inappropriate and Ms. La Rue later applied to work as Mr. Leto's personal assistant, further underscoring the absence of anything inappropriate in any of their interactions.' But La Rue denied applying for such a role. Sources quoted in the article described parties at Leto's Los Angeles home and said they had a ratio of 60 'very young women to four or five men,' and they claimed that guests were encouraged to go skinny dipping at the events. Jared's publicist stated that the actor 'has not had a drink or used drugs in over 35 years.'
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Polling on Elon Musk glaring red light for Republicans
Even as Elon Musk and President Donald Trump no longer appear to be on speaking terms, the Tesla CEO's popularity among the Republican base is on the rise, according to polling. Trump and Musk's friendly relationship came to a dazzling end on Thursday as their disagreement over the Republicans' spending package went into full bloom. Musk called the bill, which significantly increases the deficit, a 'disgusting abomination.' Trump said his former friend had gone 'crazy' as Musk called for his impeachment and removal and claimed that the president is included in the 'Epstein Files.' He later deleted that post. While Musk isn't set to take over as the top figure in the Republican Party, he could create chaos surrounding the GOP's agenda and its plans for the 2026 midterms. Seventy-six percent of Republicans see Musk favorably, according to the most recent poll by The Economist and YouGov. Meanwhile, just 18 percent view him unfavorably. According to a poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College in late April, 77 percent of Republicans view Musk favorably. Since the start of the second Trump administration, Musk's popularity has been over 70 percent in most polls, Politico noted. The billionaire is more popular than House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, or almost anyone else in the GOP. Among Republicans, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance are more popular than Musk, with 87% and 80% approval, respectively, according to the Economist /YouGov survey. Musk's polling strength with the Republican base may partly be rooted in the fact that GOP voters believed in the mission of the Department of Government Efficiency from the outset, with almost 90 percent backing the notion that the government needs to be downsized. A recent Harvard-Harris poll found that about the same percentage of Republicans believe that DOGE has been effective at scaling back spending. Meanwhile, Democrats and independents are less likely to trust DOGE's accomplishments and are much less likely to view Musk favorably. Fifteen percent of Democrats and 34 percent of independents have favorable views of the billionaire. Musk may become a dangerous rival for the Republican Party, whose values align with the DOGE mission of cutting spending and reducing the deficit. Musk's wealth and social media influence as the owner of X may pose a threat to Trump and his party. This comes as Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he has 'no intention' of speaking to Musk or attempting to repair the relationship. 'I'm too busy doing other things,' said Trump. 'I have no intention of speaking to him.' 'I would assume so, yeah,' he said when asked if his relationship with Musk was over. 'I think it's a very bad thing, because he's very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the President,' he added. He also issued a threat, saying that Musk will face 'very serious consequences' if he chooses to use his significant wealth to fund Democrats. Musk's opposition to the spending bill could lead the billionaire to fund challengers to Republicans who voted in favor of it. 'If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that,' Trump told NBC News.
