Joe Rogan eviscerated for sharing ‘dangerous antisemitic tropes’ on his podcast

Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan is once again receiving backlash, this time for comments that critics have labelled “antisemitic”.

The Joe Rogan Experience host was discussing US Representative Ilhan Omar with his guests, Breaking Points co-hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, during a recent episode when he made the offending statements.

Omar was recently removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee by Republicans over accusations that she is antisemitic.

In 2019, she tweeted that Republicans wanted to condemn her comments about Israel because “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby”, a reference to Benjamin Franklin being on $100 bills. She later apologised for her comments.

“That’s not an antisemitic comment, I don’t think that is. Benjamins are money,” Rogan said on his podcast.

He continued: “The idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous. That’s like saying Italians aren’t into pizza. It’s f***ing stupid.”

David Baddiel responded to the comedian’s comments, writing on Twitter: “I actually want to stop banging the Jews Don't Count drum at some point but hard to do when a racist myth about Jews is just...said, breezily, on one of the biggest podcasts in the world and no-one gives a f***.

“For the hard of understanding, ‘Jews are into money’ is not like ‘Italians are into pizza”’ Because unless my history lessons really missed something out, no-one has exterminated a large section of the entire Italian community because of their love for pepperoni,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said Rogan’s comments were “no joke” and that he found it “disturbing that at a time of rising anti-Jewish violence, when growing numbers of Americans believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories, @joerogan would use his immense platform to spew antisemitic tropes about Jews and money.”

Greenblatt added: “For centuries, people have used these longstanding tropes to spread vicious lies about the Jewish people. ‘Comedian’ or not, Rogan’s comments are no joke.”

Temple University Professor Mark Lamont Hill tweeted: “This statement by Joe Rogan is blatantly and disgustingly antisemitic. It plays on one of the oldest, ugliest, and most dangerous antisemitic tropes. This is indefensible.”

The Independent has contacted Spotify and Rogan’s representative for comment.

The podcaster has faced numerous controversies over the course of his career. Last year, resurfaced footage showed the podcaster using the N-word multiple times.

Rogan apologised but said the footage was “taken out of context”.

Artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell successfully had their music removed from Spotify (where his podcast is hosted) in protest against Rogan, after accusing him of spreading misinformation about Covid-19.

Rogan made light of the controversy at a stand-up gig, where he said: “If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault?”