Podcaster Joe Rogan has criticised President Donald Trump's use of military-style immigration tactics, warning that they represent a 'very slippery slope' that could lead to wider oppression. Speaking on a Wednesday episode of his podcast alongside screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, Rogan expressed concern about the use of masked federal agents with minimal training.
'It is a very slippery slope when you give people — and they're trained for seven weeks, they're not trained very long,' Rogan said. 'They're trained for much less time than police officers, much less time than military. And then you have this militarized police force that has no identification and they're on the streets. That's a precedent that you might like it when it's for a cause that you support, but that could easily be for a cause you do not support.'
Rogan, who has previously criticised Trump's immigration policies, warned that a future leader could use similar tactics for other purposes, such as confiscating guns. 'It scares the s*** out of me when you have a justification for militarized police with masks on that are just grabbing people,' he added.
Eszterhas, a self-described 'proud deplorable' who has offered Trump mixed support, agreed with Rogan. He condemned the administration's characterisation of two protesters killed by federal agents in Minneapolis as 'terrorists and assassins', calling it an 'abomination'.
Despite Rogan's criticisms, Trump has not taken offence. At an event in April, the president said, 'We all respect Joe. He's a little bit more liberal than I am. That's OK. I have a lot of friends that are liberal, but Joe is an amazing guy.'
