Joe Rogan has condemned the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, describing the situation as "f****** terrible" for the president. The podcaster and MMA commentator made the remarks on Thursday's episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, following the latest release of documents by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ delivered over three million files, including 180,000 pictures and 2,000 videos, on January 30. However, many details of potential co-conspirators of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein remained redacted. Under pressure from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, the DOJ unredacted the names of at least six individuals, including Emirati billionaire Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.
Files revealed Epstein and bin Sulayem exchanged years of correspondence, discussing sex and sharing links to fetish websites. In one email, Epstein told bin Sulayem he "loved the torture video." Rogan questioned why bin Sulayem's name was redacted if he was not a victim, saying, "This is what's crazy about all this." Being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing, and bin Sulayem has not been charged.
Rogan, who has both criticised and supported Trump in the past, said the president's assertion that the Epstein case was a "hoax" was incorrect. "This is definitely not a hoax," Rogan stated. He also criticised the significant redactions, which have sparked bipartisan outrage.
In response, the DOJ announced that members of Congress could view fully unredacted files in person. Lawmakers including Khanna, Massie, and Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin have since reviewed the files via a secure terminal. Raskin noted that one of Epstein's victims was just nine years old, while Massie said files suggested a senior foreign official was allegedly involved in the sex trafficking network.
