When Joe Rogan said he's "way more left-wing" than people believe; recalled being on food stamps
It may come as a surprise to many, but most of Joe Rogan's views skew toward the left side of the political spectrum.
Rogan thinks that people assume he's a right-winger and a Donald Trump supporter because of the way he looks and the activities he enjoys. During episode #1781 of The Joe Rogan Experience with guest Coleman Hughes, the UFC commentator spoke about his critics:
"I think they're hardcore lefties and hardcore lefties don't know what the f*** to do with me 'cause I look like a Trump supporter."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below:
Rogan added that his activities, which include MMA commentary, gun ownership, and hunting, portray him as a conservative in the eyes of many. Not to mention that he's been villainized by left-leaning celebrities like Neil Young and progressive political commentators like Cenk Uygur.
However, Rogan clarified that growing up poor solidified his belief in the importance of left-wing ideas such as universal basic income and universal health care. The popular host of the Spotify-exclusive podcast said:
"Yeah, there's a lot of things that don't line up with the fact that I support universal basic income. I support universal health care. My family was poor when I was young. We were on welfare. I'll never forget that. I'll never forget being on food stamps as a kid. I'll never forget wondering if we were gonna have enough food to eat."
Listen to the full episode of the JRE podcast below:
Joe Rogan explains how he's politically left-leaning
On the same episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the comic revealed that his poverty-stricken childhood helped him understand how important social support systems are:
"I got to experience how social systems, social support systems, and social safety nets can really be beneficial to families," the comic stated. "And I think they're huge. I think they're very, very important and I fully, fully support that and I'm way more left-wing."
According to the 55-year-old, the only right-wing belief he has that people can point to is his stance on gun control. Rogan is a staunch believer that the government shouldn't have the right to regulate the people's right to bear arms.
Rogan also famously said that mass shootings in the United States are manifestations of a mental health crisis rather than gun ownership.
Check out the tweet below:
This country has a mental health problem disguised as a gun problem and a tyranny problem disguised as a security problem.