Trump wants Joe Rogan to moderate a presidential debate
President says he supports having a four-hour debate with no live audience - hosted by an unconventional moderator
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President Donald Trump has voiced his support for stand up comic and self-proclaimed “psychedelic adventurer” Joe Rogan to host a presidential debate unlike any other in history.
The host of The Joe Rogan Experience, a popular podcast series, pitched the idea on a podcast hosted by retired UFC fighter Tim Kennedy.
Kennedy tweeted about the idea during the weekend, describing how Rogan “offered to moderate a debate” between former Vice President Joe Biden and the president that “would be four hours with no live audiences”.
“Just the two candidates, cameras, and their vision of how to move this country forward,” he wrote. “Who wants this?”
Mr Trump retweeted Kennedy’s post, writing in response to his question: “I do!”
Mr Rogan’s hugely popular podcast has made headlines in the past with high profile guests like Bernie Sanders and Elon Musk — the latter of which famously smoked a joint live on air.
The president was on an early morning Twitter spree when he made the comments on Monday, amid attacks against his Democratic opponent’s vice presidential pick, Kamala Harris, who he called a “super liberal wack job” in one social media post.
Mr Trump has ramped up his attacks against Democrats in recent days, claiming Mr Biden wouldn’t serve a full term if elected in November.
There are at least three presidential debates scheduled to take place ahead of Election Day, including one on 29 September, followed by two in October.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence and Ms Harris are scheduled to debate each other on 7 October.
Little else is known about the details of the upcoming debates, however. The Covid-19 outbreak has caused unexpected changes, including the venue for the first debate, which will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
The University of Notre Dame was scheduled to host the first event, but withdrew due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments