Comedian and top podcast host Joe Rogan wants to moderate a presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden.
Rogan expressed his interest in becoming a moderator on an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” featuring retired MMA fighter and former US Army Sergeant First Class Tim Kennedy on Saturday, explaining the debate conditions he would require.
“First of all, I’d want no one else in the room– just the three of us– and you’d have to stream it live so no one could edit it, and I’d want them in there for four hours,” Rogan said.
Rogan invited the candidates to “come here in Austin, sit down and have a debate” saying that he would “100 percent do it” but expressed concern that he didn’t think “Biden can handle it.”
When Kennedy asked Twitter who wanted Rogan’s debate proposal to become reality, President Donald Trump retweeted his approval by saying “I do!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1305487258036781056?s=20
In August, Trump’s campaign released a list of approved moderators for the upcoming presidential debates. While Rogan was not named on the list, Trump’s enthusiastic response stirred up questions about the possibility of the debate.
Trump campaign sends letter to Commission on Presidential Debates requesting a 4th, earlier debate
Also Trump campaign's suggested debate moderators: pic.twitter.com/o5SJAXo6FX
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) August 5, 2020
None of Trump’s suggested moderators made the final cut, nor was his appeal for a fourth debate successful.
Biden has yet to comment on the proposal, but The Hill’s Saagar Enjeti, one of Trump’s proposed moderators, implored the Biden press corps to ask him about the invitation for the candidates to go to Austin and do a live-streamed a debate.
https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1305503315103449088?s=20
While Rogan has previously claimed that he would “rather vote for Trump than [Biden]” because he doesn’t think Biden “can handle anything,” Rogan has hosted Biden supporters and other Democrats on his popular YouTube show and podcast.
In August of 2019, Rogan interviewed former presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on their bids for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In January, he hinted that Sanders would get his vote if he won the nomination. He received backlash for his comments, commentating that it was “strange to watch it take place,” because “all I said is I’m probably going to vote for him.”
