Joe Rogan is being ridiculed for falling for an AI-generated video of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
During an interview with comedian Tim Dillon on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan, 58, claimed that Walz, 61, went “wacky” after his failed campaign with Kamala Harris.
“Did you see where he had a f---k Trump shirt on and he’s dancing and going down an elevator?” Rogan asked Dillon.
Rogan was subsequently fact-checked by his producer, Jamie Vernon. “No, it’s not real,” Vernon said, off camera. “Yes it is,” Rogan retorted, not willing to admit he had fallen for an AI prank.
Vernon and Rogan’s awkward back and forth continued. “No, it’s real. I love that it’s real,” Rogan said, desperately, “it’s gotta be real,” calling Vernon a “plant” for alleging it was AI-generated.
Rogan implored Vernon to broadcast the video to his audience. Vernon reluctantly complied. Vernon broadcast the video, which West Virginia Representative Riley Moore also reposted. A flood of comments below the post ridicule Moore for failing to recognize that the video was fake.
“I fell for it, too.” Rogan finally conceded before trying to pivot, “and you know why I fell for it? Because I believe that he’s capable of doing something dumb. He’s so weird.”
Rogan was lampooned for falling for the prank and sharing disinformation with his followers without doing basic fact-checking. The Daily Beast has reached out to Rogan and Walz for comment.
“Rogan, like much of his audience, has become part of the Gen X/boomer crowd that falls for subpar AI slop. Joe’s only going to radicalize his fanbase further with his ignorance,” one X user wrote.
“It really fascinates me how the most popular podcaster in the country is, to put it bluntly, a total moron,” chimed in another.
”This is incredible. That video looked like some low-grade slop made with a Canva knockoff. If you fall for it, they should revoke your driver’s license,” one wrote snarkily.
“Rogan is only 58 & spends a lot of his life on the internet. For him to fall for so many obviously fake things (that he wants to believe) shows there’s absolutely no hope that AI bulls--t won’t destroy future elections around the world. Old will people believe the dumbest c---,” another mused.
This is not the first time Rogan was fact-checked by his own producers on his show. In 2023, he misattributed a Trump gaffe to Biden. “That’s the thing about media these days,” Rogan’s guest, MMA fighter Bo Nickal, said at the time, “you’ve gotta look into it.”
