Joe Rogan shut down speculation that there was a tense exchange with President Donald Trump at a UFC event, saying the viral moment had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with a drug he believes could help veterans.
The podcaster addressed the chatter on his show after tw framed the interaction as awkward or confrontational, fueled in part by Rogan’s criticism of the war in Iran.
“The other thing, the big conspiracy theory, is that Trump is mad at you and he came up to you at the UFC and he was talking shit to you,” comedian Luis J. Gomez said during an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“No, it’s the opposite,” Rogan replied. “It was literally the opposite.”
Joe Rogan reveals what President Trump said to him at UFC 327 in Miami — and it wasn’t at all what the internet rumors suggested.
It was actually the exact opposite.
GOMEZ: “The other thing, the big conspiracy theory is that Trump is mad at you, when he came up to you at UFC… pic.twitter.com/d1kxhFRy5H
— Overton (@overton_news) April 21, 2026
According to Rogan, the conversation centered on ibogaine, a psychoactive substance he has promoted as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.
He said he had texted Trump the day before the fight with information about the drug and its potential benefits. When the two crossed paths at the event, Rogan said the president delivered a short update.
“And so literally, he sees me at the UFC the next day shakes my hand and says it’s done. That’s what he was saying. I was like I said, thank you, sir It wasn’t like he was mad at me at all,” Rogan pointed out.
“He came to me and he said, ‘it’s done. We’re gonna take care of this. This is a good thing. It’s a good thing for the soldiers, good thing for everybody.’ And then he had the press conference the next week.”
.@joerogan says he sent @POTUS information on the extraordinary effects of ibogaine on veterans with TBI and PTSD: "The text message came back, 'Sounds great! Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it!' It was literally that quick." https://t.co/Yw1NEAvmvz pic.twitter.com/Km3FITfE4p
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 18, 2026
Trump later signed an executive order focused on speeding up access to treatments for serious mental illness, including therapies involving psychedelic drugs.
“I’m pleased to announce historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs,” Trump said.
“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” he added.
The order calls for faster review of certain substances and expands research pathways tied to mental health care, with a focus on addressing high suicide rates and addiction.
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Trump said he began looking into the issue after hearing from Rogan and others advocating for alternative treatments.
Rogan later attended the signing at the White House and spoke about the scale of the opioid crisis and the potential impact of ibogaine.
“In 2024, more than 80,000 people died of overdoses, it’s a horrible number,” Rogan said. “And there’s more than 5 million people that are addicted to opioids right now in this country.”
“With one dose of ibogaine, more than 80% of people are free of that addiction. With two doses, it’s more than 90%,” Rogan noted.
The Spotify star said he had sent Trump research and data supporting those claims and described the president’s response as immediate.
“I sent him that information. The text message that came back: ‘Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it.’ Literally that quick,” Rogan detailed.
The conversation at the UFC drew attention in part because Rogan has publicly criticized the administration’s approach to the conflict in Iran.
“Most people that voted for Trump or wanted Trump to be in office, one of the things that was attractive was this: No more wars,” Rogan said recently. “Now we’re in one of the craziest ones.”
He described the ongoing conflict as dangerous and unpredictable.
“It’s f—ing terrifying,” Rogan continued. “All of it’s terrifying. Any time you’re involved with — you’re shooting missiles into towns and blowing things up, blowing up infrastructure, blowing up bridges — you know, and Israel’s blowing up Lebanon now.”
“It’s like, what the f— are we doing? Like, how is this still going on?” he added.
Actor David Cross, who joined Rogan for part of the discussion, questioned the strategy behind the conflict.
“It’s also clear there was no plan. Zero, none,” Cross claimed.
He added that the situation has left the United States in a worse position.
The criticism echoes comments Rogan made in earlier episodes, where he said the decision to strike Iran caught him off guard.
“I’m confused. I can’t believe we went to this war. When we started bombing Iran, I was like, ‘This can’t be true,’” Rogan stated.
During another episode, Rogan and comedian Theo Von questioned the rationale behind the conflict.
“Supposedly, they’re trying to stop the terrorists,” Rogan added.
“That’s crazy though if you’re the f–king terrorist,” Von remarked. “You know what I’m saying? Like, if you want to stop them, f–king stand in front of the f–king mirror. Just start there.”
Rogan repeated that the conflict clashes with the expectations of voters who supported Trump based on his opposition to new wars.
“He ran on ‘No more wars,’ ‘End these stupid, senseless wars,’ and then we have one that we can’t even really clearly define why we did it,” he noted.