During a recent JRE episode, host Joe Rogan spoke with guests Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin about a report claiming that some U.S. military commanders may be framing the conflict with Iran in deeply religious, apocalyptic terms.
According to the report Rogan referenced, certain briefings allegedly included claims that President Donald Trump had been “anointed by Jesus” and that the war could play a role in triggering Armageddon.
Rogan first introduced the topic by referencing what he described as “the Yahoo thing” he had discussed with his guests the previous day. Summarizing the report, he explained that the claim originated from a non-commissioned officer who attended a briefing.
“These military leaders… so this comes from one of the non-commissioned officers who went to a briefing,” Rogan said. “He goes to a briefing and they inform him that you shouldn’t be scared because this is all because President Trump is anointed by Jesus and this is to bring about Armageddon so that Jesus returns to Earth.”
Rogan then read directly from the report, which described the contents of the alleged briefing.
“One such note included an anecdote from a non-commissioned officer who reported that their commander had urged us to tell our troops this war was all a part of God’s divine plan,” Rogan said while reading the passage. “And he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the eminent return of Jesus Christ.”
He continued by reading another account attributed to the officer who attended the meeting.
“This morning our commander opened up the combat readiness status briefing by urging us to not be afraid as to what was happening with our combat operations in Iran,” Rogan said, quoting the report. “He said, ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.’”
According to the officer’s account, the commander appeared unusually enthusiastic when making the statement.
“He said he had a big grin on his face when he said all this, which made his message seem even more crazy,” Rogan said.
Reacting to the claims, Rogan expressed concern about the idea that such beliefs could exist within parts of the military.
“This is the scary arm of the right,” Rogan said. “This is the scariest arm of the right. The people that think that this is one of the main reasons… the Maccabee people who think this is the main reason to protect Israel. It’s a part of God’s plan.”
To illustrate the type of biblical thinking referenced in the report, Rogan read a passage from the Book of Revelation describing Christ returning during the final battle.
“Heaven opens and Christ appears on a white horse to judge and wage war called faithful and true with eyes like fire, many crowns and the name King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” Rogan said while quoting the passage. He then added, “Just imagine it’s 2026 and you’re like, ‘That’s the blueprint, boys.’”
Rogan also argued that religious extremism can emerge on multiple sides of geopolitical conflicts. Drawing a comparison to Islamist ideology, he suggested that dangerous beliefs can arise whenever religion becomes deeply tied to military or political power.
“It’s not like one side,” Rogan said. “It’s like all good over here. We have to fight against the Islamist. Now we’ve got some cooks over here, too.”
Ultimately, Rogan said his main concern was whether this kind of thinking could influence real military decisions.
“If that guy is for real and that guy’s in a position of power and he’s really having combat readiness meetings where he’s telling people that we have to b*mb and start Armageddon so Jesus can come back on a white horse, that’s kooky,” he said.
During the discussion, Kisin offered some reassurance, pointing out that Trump himself does not appear to hold those views, unlike the leadership of Iran, which has historically incorporated messianic ideas into its political ideology.
Rogan acknowledged the point but said he was still troubled by the possibility that such beliefs could exist within military leadership.
“People in high positions in the military, I think maybe as well,” Rogan said. “If this guy can give that kind of a meeting and that kind of a speech at a meeting, that’s a little terrifying.”
