In a compelling appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined podcast host Joe Rogan for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from the Founding Fathers to media lawsuits brought forth by Donald Trump and the growing threat of authoritarianism in the U.S. political landscape.
The conversation included a shared concern between Rogan and Sanders: the immense influence of wealth and corporate power in American politics.
“We can argue what the government should or should not do,” Sanders said, “but I don’t think we can allow a handful of people with incredible wealth to control both parties.”
Joe Rogan agreed, noting the Founders never could have predicted the scale of corporate consolidation influencing government today.
Sanders expressed deep worry about what he sees as a slide toward authoritarianism, particularly under former President Donald Trump. He cited Trump’s pattern of suing media outlets — from ABC to CBS to The Des Moines Register — as part of a broader strategy to intimidate the press.
“That’s not what a free press is about,” Sanders warned. “You don’t like it, you’ve got to live with it.”
Rogan, however, pushed back, arguing that some media organizations do engage in deceptive practices—such as editing interviews to alter their meaning—and that lawsuits may be the only recourse for those misrepresented.
“But my concern is when you have media organizations that are purported to be objective and then they say things that are defamatory and factually incorrect and they should know that before they say it. What other course does a person have other than a lawsuit?” Rogan questioned. “If you change someone’s answers, that’s not objective journalism. That’s campaigning,” he concluded.
The discussion hit a philosophical crossroads when Rogan acknowledged he himself had been targeted by media misinformation, citing CNN’s coverage of his COVID-19 treatment. Yet, like Sanders, he chose not to sue. “I’m not a fan of lawsuits either,” Rogan admitted.
Sanders made his case clear: media criticism, even when unfair or inaccurate, is part of the public arena. The real danger, he said, comes when presidents use the weight of their office to silence dissent or intimidate reporters, especially when media companies may be relying on federal approval for billion-dollar mergers.
Despite their differences, both agreed on the value of long-form conversations. “The development of podcasts,” Sanders said, “is a really positive step. It helps people think about things.”
It was an exchange marked not by sound bites, but by substantive, respectful disagreement—something both Sanders and Rogan believe the country needs more of.
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