Podcaster Joe Rogan has criticised the Department of Justice for agreeing to permanently exempt President Donald Trump and his family from IRS audits on past tax returns. During an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience released on Monday, Rogan described the settlement as 'so crazy'.
The comments came in response to a one-page document signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on 19 May, which settled a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Trump, his children and the Trump Organization. The lawsuit, filed in January, centred on a leak of the president’s tax records to news outlets during his first term. Under the settlement, the IRS is 'forever barred and precluded' from pursuing examinations into Trump and related individuals for tax returns filed before the effective date.
Rogan likened the situation to someone wrongfully accused of murder being granted immunity from future murder charges. 'Imagine somebody accused you of murder. And it turns out you weren't guilty of that murder, and then you sue them, and you go, “You can never prosecute me for murder again.” And then you just go straight Uday Hussein,' he said, referencing the notoriously cruel eldest son of Saddam Hussein.
While Rogan endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and has appeared friendly with him, he has also criticised the administration on issues such as immigration, the handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, and the recent war against Iran. In March, Rogan said of the Iran conflict: 'It just seems so insane based on what he ran on. This is why a lot of people feel betrayed.'
The settlement also includes a nearly $1.8 billion fund that critics have called a 'slush fund', which could compensate Trump allies who claim unfair prosecution. Concerns have been raised that the fund might reward pro-Trump rioters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
