Popular podcast host Joe Rogan revealed in a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that he invited Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre onto the show but was turned down by the campaign.
Podcasters and conservative commentators are sharing a clip from Rogan’s most recent episode with outdoorsman and athlete Cameron Hanes. In it, Rogan expressed frustration with what he considered a political misstep by Poilievre’s campaign team.
Rogan began the exchange by highlighting “debanking,” a practice where banks restrict access to financial services for individuals based on their political views. Hanes immediately drew a parallel to Canada’s 2022 Freedom Convoy.
“That kind of reminds me of what happened in Canada with the truckers,” Hanes said. “I mean, they froze their bank accounts. People who donated to them. If they didn’t have good bear hunting, I would never go.”
After agreeing about how “insane” it was for the Trudeau Liberals to freeze bank accounts during the Freedom Convoy, Rogan noted that the same party that froze the accounts of donors won again.
“Insane. And then that same party just won again. Good job, Canada,” Rogan said sarcastically.
Notably, Carney wrote an op-ed during the protest advocating for the government to freeze the accounts of convoy supporters.
In the article, Carney wrote that anyone donating to the Freedom Convoy to help truckers stay in Ottawa was “no doubt funding sedition” and should be “thoroughly” punished for donating.
Rogan continued to criticize Poilievre and his team for declining to go on his show. Rogan’s podcast with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump received 58 million views.
“I do have to say I offered to have that Pierre guy come on the podcast…didn’t do it, wouldn’t do it. Thought it was too problematic, or whatever,” he said. “Jordan (Peterson) told me. I forget what he said, but they were telling him not to do it, like his advisors were telling him not to do it. Hey dumbass.”
Poilievre’s office did not respond to True North’s request for comment.
The Conservative leader did not appear on any American podcasts during the campaign but instead opted to go on long-form Canadian podcasts. Carney, on the other hand, soft-launched his campaign on the U.S. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
The campaign occurred just months after President Trump referred to Canada as the “51st state” and levied tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump also said he would use economic force in order to pressure Canada into becoming a U.S. state.
Online conservative pundits are divided, with some saying this was a political blunder on the part of the CPC campaign, while others said that it was a no-win situation for the Conservative party and Poilievre’s team.
Some have even suggested that every campaign manager involved should be fired.
Hanes noted that Rogan rarely has “gotcha” moments on his podcast and his podcast is more of a “friend zone” where guests are free to speak openly.
Other American podcasters such as Patrick Bet David were disgruntled and baffled by Poilievre declining to go on their own podcasts as well.
Some Canadian YouTubers, such as J.J. McCullough, who has interviewed Poilievre in the past, have also criticized the Conservatives for not making a second appearance on his show during the 36-day-long election, and for hearing similar complaints from other Canadian commentators.
McCullough added that he believes Conservatives need to broaden their media appearances and end a history of “paranoia” about unfriendly interviews.
“If the Conservatives lose, there really has to be a total rethinking of their public relations strategy,” he said in one post during the election. “This Harper-era paranoia of absolutely everything outside the most sycophantic partisan safe spaces—no MP debates, no challenging interviews, muzzled candidates—can’t go on.”