If you’re waiting for comedian Joe Rogan to host an hourslong debate between former Vice President Joe Biden and current President Donald Trump, you should probably stop holding your breath. It’s not likely to happen.
The rumor of the podcast host moderating a presidential debate appears to have originated from Rogan’s own show.
On Friday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan hosted former U.S. Army special forces soldier and UFC fighter Tim Kennedy. During the interview, Rogan said he would host a debate between Trump and Biden, but had some stipulations.
“First of all, I want no one else in the room, just the three of us,” the host said, according to Fox News. “And you’d have to stream it live so no one can edit it, and I would want them in there for hours. If they wanted to do that — they both wanted to come here in Austin, sit down and have a debate — I would 100% do it.”
Kennedy tweeted about the hypothetical debate on Sunday, tagging the Twitter accounts of both Biden and Trump. And early Monday, Trump responded to the proposal.
“I do!,” the president wrote with an exclamation mark, while retweeting Kennedy’s post.
Neither the Trump nor Biden campaigns appear to have released a statement about Rogan’s proposition.
In late January, Rogan had endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, saying that he believes in Sanders. “I like him, I like him a lot,” Rogan added.
The comedian went on to say that the senator has been “insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing — been for the same thing — his whole life, and that in and of itself is a very powerful structure to operate from.”
But, in the waning days of Sanders’ Democratic primary campaign, Rogan said he preferred President Trump over a potential President Biden.
“I’d rather vote for Trump than (Biden), the podcast host said on his show “The Joe Rogan Experience” in early April, according to The Guardian.
Days later, Rogan clarified his comment during a conversation with Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw, saying the comment wasn’t as much a pro-Trump endorsement as it was a critique of Biden.
“I’d also vote for Whoopi Goldberg over Joe Biden. I’d vote for Mike Tyson over Joe Biden,” he said.
The three formal presidential sparring matches — which are organized and produced by The Commission on Presidential Debates — between Trump and Biden are scheduled for the following dates:
- Sept. 29 in Cleveland, Ohio
- Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida
- Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee
One vice presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.