Trump Lets Joe Rogan Torch Him On Iran But Goes To War With Pope Leo. Is ‘bro’ Base More Politically Potent Than Jesus?

Since nan commencement of nan astir two-month war against Iran, immoderate of President Donald Trump’s once-enthusiastic boosters person made a nationalist show of breaking pinch him, only to beryllium met pinch blistering Truth Social attacks and further occurrence from MAGA-aligned personalities.

Yet nan astir salient of nan podcasters whose clasp of nan 45th president played a cardinal domiciled successful helping him go nan 47th, ex-Fear Factor big and MMA commentator turned Spotify prima Joe Rogan, appears immune to Trump’s wrath.

Rogan, who past period called Trump’s decision to motorboat a caller overseas warfare “insane” and suggested that “a batch of group consciousness betrayed” because of it, was a astonishment personage impermanent astatine an unannounced executive bid signing connected Saturday morning, conscionable days aft he called nan warfare “f**king terrifying.”

Trump didn’t look to beryllium bothered by Rogan’s MAGA apostasy arsenic the podcaster stood down nan president successful nan Oval Office, correct adjacent to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to watch arsenic he announced nan signing of an bid intended to accelerate aesculapian treatments for superior intelligence unwellness utilizing psychedelic drugs.

Citing 1 study astir Ibogaine, which posited that participants knowledgeable an “80 to 90 percent simplification successful symptoms of slump and worry wrong 1 month” aft being administered nan drug, Trump decided to spell for immoderate laughs, asking: “Can I person some, please?”

Rogan explained his beingness location by telling reporters that he’d been invited aft he texted Trump successful support of psychedelics — a longtime hobbyhorse for nan podcaster and others successful his orbit.

“I want to show everybody really this happened ... I sent President Trump immoderate information… nan matter connection that came back: ‘Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it,’” Rogan said. “It was virtually that quick.”

Trump did make a passing reference to Rogan’s disapproval complete nan war, telling reporters that nan podcaster was “a small spot much wide than maine and that’s OK.”

That’s OK? Really?

Anyone who has spent overmuch clip watching nan president’s clasp of Rogan knows he doesn’t respond good to disapproval of immoderate kind, beryllium it from supporters successful his ain statement aliases from anyone perceived to beryllium successful nan opposition.

Consider his guidance to erstwhile Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — aft she became 1 of a fistful of Republicans to motion connected to a discharge petition which led to nan House and Senate passing nan Epstein Files Transparency Act past year, nan president fundamentally declared her an unperson wrong nan MAGA-era GOP.

He quickly deployed a alternatively tortured effort astatine a nickname, dubbing her Marjorie Taylor Brown (because “green turns to brownish nether stress”) and inspiring capable of his followers to frighten her and her family that she decided to return her shot and spell location by resigning her House spot astatine nan opening of January.

Trump besides unleashed upon a quartet of his astir loyal media friends — Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones — little than 2 weeks agone aft they each offered criticisms of nan warfare he launched against Iran, conscionable arsenic Rogan had done.

He savaged Carlson “a surgery man” connected relationship of his being fired from his Fox News show a fewer years back, and called Owens, erstwhile 1 of his highest-profile Black media supporters, “crazy” while heaping scorn upon her bizarre crusade to person nan world that France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, is simply a man (something she is not).

As for Jones, who he erstwhile praised arsenic having an “amazing” reputation, he mocked him arsenic “bankrupt” (a information Trump knows rather good based connected his past business record) and noted that he “says immoderate of nan dumbest things,” specified arsenic claiming that nan 2012 Sandy Hook schoolhouse massacre had been a hoax (it was not).

But Trump’s uncharacteristic magnanimity mightiness person travel arsenic nan biggest astonishment to different high-profile American, a Chicago autochthonal by nan sanction of Robert Prevost.

Prevost — aka Pope Leo XIV — is possibly nan only American arsenic celebrated arsenic Trump connected relationship of his being elected arsenic nan 267th Bishop of Rome past May.

Speaking astatine a bid vigil astatine nan Vatican connected April 11 — arsenic popes often do — Leo said retired against Trump’s war, informing successful a reside delivered successful English that a "delusion of omnipotence" was undermining world stableness while calling connected world leaders to thin much heavy connected diplomacy than connected militarism.

He did not moreover mention Trump’s name, but Trump took it personally capable that he lashed retired astatine Leo nan adjacent day.

Writing connected Truth Social, he accused nan pontiff of taking Iran’s broadside successful nan conflict while slamming him arsenic a "very wide person" who was "catering to nan extremist left", "weak connected crime" and "terrible for overseas policy.”

He continued to onslaught Leo successful various settings, some connected Truth Social and during availabilities pinch reporters complete nan adjacent fewer days, moreover going truthful acold arsenic to falsely impeach him of saying it would beryllium acceptable for Iran to get atomic weapons. As is emblematic pinch Trump’s targets, astatine slightest 1 of his supporters took nan attacks arsenic proposal to telephone successful a explosive threat against nan Illinois location of Leo’s brother, John Prevost.

So really does Joe Rogan extremity up pinch an invitation to nan Oval Office aft criticizing Trump’s Iran warfare while nan Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of nan Prince of nan Apostles and Supreme Pontiff of nan Universal Church gets a bid of angry Truth Social posts and repeated attacks complete a play of days?

To put it bluntly, Trump thinks he needs Rogan much than he needs Leo pinch nan midterms accelerated approaching.

According to group acquainted pinch nan president’s thinking, he and his aides are rather concerned astir nan anticipation that nan young man who followed Rogan’s lead by voting for Trump successful droves during nan past predetermination will wantonness him moreover much afloat than galore already person complete nan Iran war.

By showing a spot of grace towards Rogan, he tin support nan king of nan podcast bros successful his area while dismissing his criticisms, nary matter really pointed, arsenic portion of Rogan’s occupation arsenic an entertainer. Attacking him will conscionable thrust his listeners away, either to nan sofa wherever they will beryllium connected their hands this November — aliases worse, to nan polls wherever they will ballot for Democrats.

But The Independent besides understands that Trump isn’t very concerned astir attacks connected Leo driving distant capable Catholic voters to negatively effect his party.

In 2024, a Pew Research study recovered that nan president carried Catholics by a 12-point advantage complete Kamala Harris, a much than 10-point plaything from erstwhile nan Catholic ballot divided almost evenly during nan title betwixt Trump and Joe Biden 4 years earlier.

In Trump’s governmental calculus, that advantage will beryllium much enduring than nan boost he sewage from young men coming retired for him, peculiarly if he alienates podcast bro royalty for illustration Rogan.

He besides believes, rightly aliases wrongly, that Catholics, peculiarly nan devout ones who halfway guidance to abortion and LGBTQ+ authorities successful their politics, attraction much astir his efforts to restrict reproductive authorities and oust transgender Americans from immoderate measurement of nationalist visibility than thing he mightiness opportunity astir nan Pope.

After all, astir churchgoers perceive a sermon conscionable erstwhile a week. But podcasters for illustration Rogan are successful voters ears connected a regular basis.