Joe Rogan seemingly backs Ron DeSantis—architect of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law—for president – Bloody Elbow
After once endorsing Bernie Sanders for president, Joe Rogan is now throwing his weight behind rising star in Republican circles.
The UFC commentator and controversial comedian revealed on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that he believes Florida governor Ron DeSantis “would work as a good president.”
“I mean, what he’s done for Florida has been admirable,” Rogan said on Tuesday’s episode, which featured conspiracy monger Gina Carano as his guest. “I feel like what he did for Florida, a lot of people gave him a lot of grief, but ultimately he was correct. He was correct when it comes to like deaths, he was correct. And when it comes to protecting all vulnerable populations, he was correct in terms of distribution of monoclonal antibodies.”
DeSantis was among the politicians most resistant to imposing Covid-19 restrictions and mandates, even going so far as to designate professional sports as “essential services” in order to lobby organizations such as World Wrestling Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship to hold events in Florida. His critics referred to him as “DeathSantis” in the face of a rising death toll in 2020, with many believing he prematurely lifted mandates and placed vulnerable populations at even greater risk.
DeSantis courted even more controversy this year when he signed a bill into law Monday that restricts the education of LGBTQ topics in the state’s public schools. The bill, which critics have labeled “Don’t Say Gay,” states that “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
DeSantis has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the 2024 presidential nomination, with many believing that the GOP may prefer him over Trump. Last week, conservative activists in Colorado placed DeSantis above Trump in their preference for their party’s 2024 nominee. DeSantis won 71 percent of the vote while the former president earned 67 percent in the straw poll.
Yet despite DeSantis placing restrictions on LGBTQ+ people and galvanizing his base in a culture war against Disney, whom he labels as “groomers,” Rogan argued that the governor is all about “freedom.”
“He is not perfect, he’s a human being but what he’s done is stand up for freedoms,” Rogan said.