Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expresses support for Joe Rogan amid Spotify controversy - "Stand your ground!"

Jair Bolsonaro (left) and Joe Rogan (right)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is the latest political figure to throw his support behind controversial podcaster Joe Rogan.

The UFC commentator and popular comedian recently came under fire after Spotify faced mounting pressure to remove his podcast. In light of the controversy, Rogan issued an apology to the streaming platform and promised more balance and better research on his program.

However, there are also some who believe Rogan is being persecuted for exercising his freedom of speech. Among them was Bolsonaro, who took to Twitter to express his support for the 54-year-old.

"I'm not sure what @joerogan thinks about me or about my government but it doesn't matter," Bolsonaro wrote on Wednesday. "If freedom of speech means anything, it means that people should be free to say what they think, no matter if they agree or disagree with us. Stand your ground! Hugs from Brazil."

- I'm not sure what @joerogan thinks about me or about my government, but it doesn't matter. If freedom of speech means anything, it means that people should be free to say what they think, no matter if they agree or disagree with us. Stand your ground! Hugs from Brazil. 👍

Rogan has been one of the most polarizing talking heads amid the pandemic due to his stance about COVID-19 vaccines. However, his podcast episodes with Dr. Peter McCullough and Dr. Robert Malone are particularly what generated the most amount of backlash for his show.

White House advises streaming platforms to 'do more' following Joe Rogan fiasco

In response to the controversy surrounding the Joe Rogan Experience, Spotify has since said it will add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about the pandemic.

However, U.S. President Joe Biden's spokesperson Jen Psaki believes all streaming platforms must take the necessary steps to address misinformation. In her press briefing, Psaki said:

"This disclaimer, it’s a positive step, but we want every platform to be doing more to be calling out mis- and dis-information, while also uplifting accurate information. Ultimately, our view is that it is a positive step, but there is more that can be done. Our hope is that all major tech platforms, and all major news sources for that matter, be responsible and be vigilant to ensure the American people have access to accurate information on something as significant as COVID-19. That certainly includes Spotify."

The White House called on platforms to be ‘responsible and vigilant’ in mitigating COVID-19 misinformation in response to the controversy over Joe Rogan’s podcast on Spotify https://t.co/4i5yBrNq8J