PoliticsJoe Rogan Calls Donald Trump's Secret Plane Swap 'Crazy' as Decoy Flight Story Spreads
Joe Rogan reacted to Donald Trump’s reported secret aircraft switch on his podcast.
Aug. 15 2026, Published 6:40 a.m. ET
Joe Rogan is not brushing off President Donald Trump’s secret plane swap as just another Washington security story.
Joe Rogan called the situation ‘crazy’ after learning reporters remained on the decoy plane.
On his latest podcast episode, Rogan reacted to reports that Trump was secretly moved off the older Air Force One in Turkey last month after concerns about an Iranian threat, while White House reporters and several senior officials remained aboard what they believed was the president’s plane.
“Those press people were signing up for something they didn’t know,” Rogan said. “That’s crazy.”
The Decoy Flight
The podcaster questioned why White House officials were not informed about the switch.
The Washington Post reported that Trump was transported from the older Air Force One to a smaller aircraft by airport catering truck while leaving Turkey after a NATO summit. The press pool boarded the older plane and was reportedly told to close the window shades, unaware Trump had been moved.
“So if they flew him out, it was because they were worried they were going to try to take down Air Force One,” Rogan said while speaking with comedian Joe DeRosa.
He then added sarcastically, “If the press dies, so sad. You just get more press.”
DeRosa reacted, “That’s f---ing wild.”
The old Air Force One also reportedly carried top Trump officials, including Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent and Steven Cheung.
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Joe Rogan’s Point
Joe Rogan said the episode exposed the difference in presidential security priorities.
“He didn’t even tell them, ‘Hey, guys, we’re not really going to get on this plane. No one’s getting on this plane. You guys, get out of here. Go take American Airlines home,’” Rogan said. “No, he’s like, ‘Hop on. It’s safe.’”
Trump later disputed the idea that he had been on the safer aircraft, telling reporters, “I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk.”
But Rogan said the episode revealed a harsh hierarchy.
“When you want to know, like, who’s more important, you or the president, that’s when you find out,” he said. “I imagine they’re a little perturbed. That would perturb me.”
Why Joe Rogan Matters
His reaction helped push the plane-swap story beyond traditional political media.
“Rogan reacting matters because it moves a story out of the partisan bubbles and into rooms that cable news and late-night cannot reach,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.
“When a story only lives in political media, it stays a political story. When it hits the biggest podcast audiences, it becomes a cultural one, and cultural stories are far harder to contain,” she explained.
Philip pointed out that podcasts are more conversational and more intimate than other media, which makes audiences trust them more “even when they are just as opinionated.”
“You can no longer map the news cycle by watching cable and print alone,” she said. “The main character of any given week is increasingly decided in the influencer and podcast space, and if you are not tracking those conversations, you are managing a version of the story that is already out of date.”
