Joe Rogan Criticizes Bernie Sanders for Aligning with Democratic Establishment
The podcast host accused the senator of compromising his principles during the 2016 election cycle.
Podcaster Joe Rogan has criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders, accusing the Vermont senator of compromising his progressive ideals by aligning with the Democratic establishment. Rogan specifically pointed to Sanders' endorsement of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election as a key moment where he believes Sanders "gave in."
During a recent installment of his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan stated that Sanders "let them run him over during that whole thing with Hillary where they rigged the primary." He expressed disappointment that Sanders did not push back more forcefully against what Rogan perceived as unfair primary processes. "He let them get away with stuff where I think he should have put his foot down and said, ‘This is f–ked up,’" Rogan said.
Rogan also commented on the perceived lack of competitive primaries within the Democratic Party, suggesting that the party has not had a "legit primary in like, what, more than a decade?" He cited the instance of Kamala Harris being a candidate, implying her path to prominence was orchestrated by the establishment.
In the 2016 Democratic primaries, Clinton secured more votes overall and won key states. Following the primary contest, Sanders endorsed Clinton at a joint rally in New Hampshire, pledging to support her campaign against then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Rogan recalled his past support for Sanders, noting that he once stated he would likely vote for the senator because "He's the one who makes the most sense." Rogan characterized Sanders as "anti-war" and supportive of using funds from stock market speculation for social programs. However, Rogan indicated that his views may have evolved, stating, "I don't necessarily think that I feel the same way anymore about him."
Sanders has appeared on "The Joe Rogan Experience" twice, first in August 2019 and again in June 2025. Rogan had previously praised Sanders, describing him as someone who "genuinely looks out for the working class and genuinely wants to help people."
However, Rogan expressed bewilderment at the rise of politicians he described as "democratic socialists" who, in his view, espouse Sanders-like ideas but with plans he deemed "f–king nuts," particularly concerning tax increases.