Joe Rogan, the popular podcaster who backed Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, has voiced unexpected criticism of the president’s immigration crackdown, expressing surprise at the scale of deportations and labeling the deployment of troops in American cities as a “dangerous precedent.” This sentiment is echoed by polling data indicating that many Americans are similarly taken aback by the extent of Trump’s actions.
On his widely listened podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan recently lamented the Trump administration’s increasingly brutal mass deportation campaign, stating he “did not ever anticipate seeing that on TV on a regular basis” and referring to images of families being separated. He specifically criticized the militarized approach, including the use of National Guard troops in urban areas like Chicago, which he argued sets a troubling precedent for domestic military involvement.
Rogan, who has heterodox political views but used his platform to endorse Trump just before the 2024 election, has consistently supported border security but now finds himself at odds with the administration’s methods. His comments underscore a growing dissonance among some of Trump’s supporters, who approved of his tough immigration rhetoric during the campaign but are now discomforted by the reality of its implementation.
This disconnect is not isolated to Rogan. Recent polls reveal that a significant portion of the American public did not fully anticipate the breadth of Trump’s policies. For instance, a CBS News-YouGov poll showed that only 52% of Americans believe Trump is doing “the same things he promised,” down from 70% earlier in the year, suggesting a gradual realization that his actions exceed expectations.
The specific policies in question include large-scale ICE raids that have detained immigrants both with and without legal status, as well as the authorization of National Guard deployments to several cities under Operation Midway Blitz. In Chicago, troops have been sent to support immigration enforcement, leading to legal challenges where judges have questioned the justification, citing no evidence of rebellion.
White House officials have defended these measures, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating that President Trump will not “turn a blind eye to lawlessness” and emphasizing the administration’s commitment to protecting federal assets. However, critics, including Rogan, argue that the tactics are overly harsh and risk undermining civil liberties, with Rogan noting that arresting people in front of their children is something “everybody who has a heart can’t get along with.”
Looking ahead, the Trump administration faces ongoing legal battles over troop deployments and immigration policies, with the president recently floating the idea of sending the National Guard to San Francisco. As these issues unfold, Rogan’s vocal criticism may influence public opinion, particularly among his millions of listeners, potentially eroding support from segments of Trump’s base who are reevaluating their alignment with the president’s aggressive stance.