Joe Rogan Raises Eyebrows by Claiming Trump's UFO Files Release Is to 'Distract Us' From Iran War

Joe Rogan didn't waste time calling the timing suspicious. On his May 7 podcast, the host told Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett that the Pentagon's release of more than 160 declassified UAP files looked less like transparency and more like a distraction from a war with Iran that is "not going very well."

The American public, Rogan argued, is "very upset" about involvement in the conflict and needs "some good news" to shift focus. "We need something to distract us," he said plainly. Burchett cut in: "If I was gonna do it, now would be the time I'd do it." The exchange, captured on The Joe Rogan Experience, has raised eyebrows because it comes from a onetime Trump endorser now openly skeptical of the administration's motives.

Burchett pushed back on the cynicism. He believes Trump, 79, simply wants Americans to know the truth. "I think he just wants to get it out there," the congressman said. "I don't think he cares about trying to get everybody off target by disclosing UFOs." Yet even Burchett acknowledged the optics: the files dropped the very day after Rogan and Burchett recorded, on May 8, when the Pentagon announced instant public access to the records.

Rogan offered another motive: legacy. With Trump in what could be his final term, releasing the files lets him "be the guy who releases all these files." The podcaster framed it as pragmatic politics rather than noble disclosure. This isn't Rogan's first break with the president he backed in 2024. He has repeatedly called the Iran conflict "stupid" and last month labeled some MAGA supporters "unintelligent" and "dorks."

The broader picture Rogan sketched is one of political homelessness. He told listeners he no longer identifies strongly with either party, yearning instead for "a logical centrist government" that fixes problems without left-right theater. His willingness to question a Trump administration move on one of the right's favorite topics, extraterrestrial life, shows how quickly the post-election honeymoon has curdled for parts of the bro-sphere.

Whether the UFO files are genuine transparency or convenient spectacle remains contested between the two men. What is clear is that Rogan sees a pattern: bad news from Iran, sudden good news from the skies. The public is left to decide which story deserves more attention.

Original reporting: RadarOnline.com.