Political commentator Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk is calling out Joe Rogan for what he describes as a calculated and self-serving retreat from the MAGA movement, arguing that the popular podcaster is motivated by a desire to protect his relevance rather than any genuine change in principle.
Rogan recently appeared to distance himself from the MAGA label during a conversation with libertarian commentator Dave Smith, saying the phrase “Make America Great Again” had become a movement filled with, in his words, “really weird, uninteresting, unintelligent people” who cling to the slogan.
He argued that once any political group forms, it inevitably attracts bad actors and uninformed individuals, making it difficult for genuine supporters to stay associated with the label. Rogan added that he is not attached to the phrase and does not care to be lumped in with what he called “dorks.”
Kulinski pushed back hard on the framing, arguing that Rogan’s shift is not principled. “The same mental process that got him to support Trump is the exact same mental process that’s leading to him abandoning Trump,” Kulinski said.
He characterized Rogan as a vibe monger and wave rider who supported Trump enthusiastically when the political energy was in that direction and is now reversing course because supporting Trump is no longer a popular position in the podcasting sphere.
Kulinski also pointed out that Rogan still refuses to criticize Trump directly by name, reserving his harshest commentary for Democrats and liberals. While Rogan will occasionally acknowledge problems connected to MAGA, Kulinski argued that real accountability requires a genuine acknowledgment of being wrong, including stating that Kamala Harris would have been the better choice. Without that, Kulinski said, the pivot rings hollow.
When JD Vance was asked about Rogan’s “dorks” comment during an interview, he responded that MAGA has far fewer dorks than the far left but acknowledged that every group has some. Kulinski found this response ironic, considering the two men involved in the exchange.
Kulinski also noted that while several right-leaning podcast personalities, including Andrew Schulz, Tim Dillon, and Dave Smith, have shifted away from Trump, this has not translated into any meaningful movement among Republican voters, with polling showing roughly 75 to 90 percent of the base still firmly behind Trump. This, Kulinski argued, makes the commentary class pivot largely irrelevant.
“None of this is principled,” Kulinski said. “It is vibe mongers and wave riders who are realizing the vibes have shifted so hard that it is no longer cool to be pro-Trump.”
