Conservative fans of The Joe Rogan Experience are crying foul and spouting conspiracy theories after the rightwing podcast lost its number one spot to The MeidasTouch Podcast.
The MeidasTouch Podcastsurpassed Rogan in downloads and views last month, according to podcast ranking platform Podscribe. It saw a 101 percent growth in reach, racking up 57 million downloads and views across YouTube and audio platforms.
In comparison, Rogan’s show slipped to second place with 48.6 million downloads and views, marking a 32 percent decline.
The stat was even pointed out on MSNBC, referring to it as a sign that "Democrats and the non-conservative ecosystem are catching up to where the 'Rogan right' has been."
Rogan's podcast's official news page on X was incredulous, merely tweeting "Who?" in response to the news that The Meidas Touch Podcast has surpassed it in popularity.
The show's conservative audience was dismissive and even spouted conspiracy theories to discredit the stat.
But The Meidas Touch Podcast's fans were too busy celebrating.
The news that Rogan's podcast had slipped in the rankings came after Rogan's defense of Elon Musk and his work with the (non-department) Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has stirred controversy, triggering a strong reaction from the podcast’s massive fanbase.
Rogan said Musk "makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you'll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way."
However, Musk’s DOGE initiative, focused on slashing government spending and privatizing key public services, has sparked intense backlash from progressives, some libertarians, and even MAGA supporters. Many of the latter have voiced regret, saying they overlooked Musk’s widely publicized plans during Trump’s campaign last year.
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