In a political moment packed with tension, popular podcast host Joe Rogan has jumped into the fray, backing a Republican lawmaker who’s now openly challenging Donald Trump’s military decisions.
At the center of the firestorm? U.S. airstrikes on Iran and a fragile ceasefire that may already be unraveling.
Rogan Sides with Congressman Massie Against Military Escalation
While chatting with Bernie Sanders on his show, Rogan unexpectedly praised Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie — a libertarian-leaning Republican — for pushing back on Trump’s recent involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Rogan, who previously endorsed Trump, said many of the president’s own supporters didn’t sign up for another war.
“People recognize this guy should be allowed to have his own opinions,” Rogan said of Massie, adding that many MAGA voters were drawn to Trump’s promise of no more foreign wars.
Massie Challenges Trump’s War Powers, Then Pulls Back
Massie had introduced a War Powers Resolution aimed at reining in Trump’s authority after the president authorized strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 bombers.
But once Trump announced a ceasefire, Massie agreed to pull the resolution — for now.
He told reporters he had spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson and said he would hold off if the ceasefire holds.
“It’s really in their court,” Massie said, though he hinted he’d revisit the issue if things worsened.
Trump Fires Back, Calling Massie a “Loser” and “Not MAGA”
Trump didn’t take kindly to the criticism.
He unloaded on Massie on social media, calling him a “bum,” a “grandstander,” and “not MAGA.”
Trump also accused him of aligning more with Democrats than Republicans and even suggested he should be primaried out of office.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s sentiments, saying Massie’s views were more in line with the Democratic Party.
She also defended Trump’s military orders as completely legal under his authority as Commander-in-Chief.
Ceasefire in Chaos as Trump Expresses Frustration with Israel and Iran
Despite Trump’s efforts to broker peace, the ceasefire didn’t hold long. On Monday, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar — an attack that didn’t provoke a U.S. response.
But by Tuesday morning, Israel had launched a massive assault on Iran, and Trump wasn’t pleased.
“Israel… dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” he told reporters.
“I’m not happy with Israel. I’m not happy with Iran either.”
War Powers Debate and Public Backlash Intensify
Massie had argued that Trump’s initial strike was unconstitutional because it didn’t have congressional approval.
He had gathered support from both Republicans and Democrats, including Congressman Ro Khanna.
His resolution had 57 co-sponsors before he decided to pause it.
Despite calls from some Democrats for Trump’s impeachment over “abuse of power,” the House overwhelmingly voted against moving forward with that charge.
Leaked Intel Sparks More Controversy Over Effectiveness of U.S. Strikes
Adding fuel to the fire, CNN reported that leaked intelligence suggested the U.S. airstrikes on Iran only set back its nuclear program by a few months — not the “total obliteration” Trump had claimed.
But the White House pushed back hard, calling the intel “flat-out wrong.”
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on target,” Leavitt said. “Total obliteration.”
Massie Hits Back with Humor as MAGA Rift Grows
Massie didn’t stay quiet. He responded to Trump’s online insults with sarcasm, saying, “Donald Trump declared so much war on me today it should require an Act of Congress,” and adding the hashtag #sassywithmassie.
Even Bernie Sanders chimed in, expressing admiration for Massie’s willingness to stand alone, saying it “bothered” him that Trump’s allies wanted to punish the congressman for speaking his mind.