Joe Rogan Claims Multiple Presidents 'Threw Money' at Spotify to Try and Cancel His Podcast After Spreading COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation

MAGA podcaster Joe Rogan claimed multiple sitting and former U.S. presidents pressured Spotify behind the scenes to remove his podcast over his pandemic-era commentary.

Speaking on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast with behavioral expert Chase Hughes, Rogan alleged these actions were part of a highly coordinated, expensive pressure campaign.

Rogan claimed Political Action Committees (PACs) and other groups targeted his corporate sponsors to disrupt his business.

"I can’t even talk about it but there was presidents involved and former presidents involved that were contacting Spotify. Trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation,” he spilled.

Rogan alleged the opposing factions "threw a lot of money" at the situation in a failed attempt to shut down his program.

The former Fear Factor host noted that despite the immense pressure, "it turned out to be right, all of it," and that "not a single person apologized" afterward.

“It was nuts, but it didn’t work. But they tried. They spent a lot of money, a loooot of money,” he alleged.

The podcaster said he usually avoids talking about it because “it goes deep” for him.

The underlying controversy dates back to 2021 and 2022 when Rogan openly criticized COVID-19 vaccine protocols and shared his personal use of Ivermectin during his illness.

This triggered high-profile public boycotts of Spotify by prominent artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

He faced significant backlash from the scientific and medical communities for hosting guests — such as infectious-disease researcher Dr. Robert Malone — who shared disputed claims and fringe theories regarding the virus and vaccines.

Rogan has consistently stated, "I'm not an anti-vax person," but his podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience" became a major flashpoint for COVID-19 vaccine skepticism and alternative treatments. While he clarified he believes vaccines are safe for vulnerable populations, his public remarks and choice of guests drew sharp criticism from the medical community and government officials.

Rogan had previously hinted at political interference during a June 2025 episode with Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, in which he initially claimed two former presidents had called the streaming platform to complain about his Ivermectin posts.

He further explained that being the top-rated podcast in approximately 90 countries protected him from being successfully de-platformed.

Rogan credited Spotify's international status for his show's survival, stating, "Thank God I was on Spotify and thank God Spotify is not an American company. And also it helped that I was number one in, like, 90 countries and not number 90 in one country, you know? That helped. That helped a lot.”

Rogan has not publicly disclosed the identities of the specific presidents or former presidents he claims were involved.

The "Joe Rogan Experience" remains the most popular podcast in the United States and globally, consistently leading major industry metrics.

The audience skews overwhelmingly male. Various surveys from Edison Research and YouGov place the male listenership between 71 percent and 81 percent.