Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) responded Friday to backlash from the Left after the democratic socialist touted podcast host Joe Rogan’s revelation that he plans on voting for Sanders in the primary.
The senator is not shying away from Rogan’s support, the statement clarifies.
“The goal of our campaign is to build a multi-racial, multi-generational movement that is large enough to defeat Donald Trump and the powerful special interests whose greed and corruption is the root cause of the outrageous inequality in America,” the candidate’s national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray said in the statement, according to Fox News.
“Sharing a big tent requires including those who do not share every one of our beliefs, while always making clear that we will never compromise our values,” the statement continued. “The truth is that standing together in solidarity, we share the values of love and respect that will move us in the direction of a more humane, more equal world.”
On Thursday, the Sanders campaign tweeted out a video clip of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast host singing the praises of the senator.
“I think I’ll probably vote for Bernie. Him, as a human being, when I was hanging out with him, I believe in him, I like him, I like him a lot,” Rogan says in the clip, speaking to guest Bari Weiss, a New York Times opinion writer.
“He’s been insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing, been for the same thing his whole life. And that, in and of itself, is a very powerful structure to operate from,” Rogan added.
“I think I'll probably vote for Bernie… He’s been insanely consistent his entire life. He’s basically been saying the same thing, been for the same thing his whole life. And that in and of itself is a very powerful structure to operate from.” -Joe Rogan pic.twitter.com/fuQP0KwGGI
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 23, 2020
The post quickly drew backlash from the Left, framing Rogan as a bigot for past commentary, such as objecting to male-to-female transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox competing and severely beating female challengers.
Slate, for example, took issue with Rogan allowing far-right figures on his popular podcast.
“Under the albeit honorable guise of giving every end of the political spectrum a fair shake, he’s introduced his mega-audience to guests with unquestionably racist and sexist views, which go largely unchallenged,” the left-wing outlet argued, adding that “Rogan also makes a game of having white people say the N-word and dabbles in transphobia and sexism, all nonchalantly mixed in with sometimes genuinely nuanced conversations about foreign policy, media, and sports. That these views are smuggled in between seemingly thoughtful conversations makes the unchecked bigotry all the more dangerous.”
Rogan, however, was defended online, particularly in relation to other supporters of Sen. Sanders.
Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro posted a side-by-side photo of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rogan, with the caption: “Both these people say they’ll vote for Bernie. One of them wrote a letter to a judge urging lenience for an ISIS recruit, routinely engages in anti-Semitic outbursts, and blames America for Venezuela’s collapse. The Woke Police are angry with Bernie over the other one.”
Both these people say they'll vote for Bernie. One of them wrote a letter to a judge urging lenience for an ISIS recruit, routinely engages in anti-Semitic outbursts, and blames America for Venezuela's collapse. The Woke Police are angry with Bernie over the other one. pic.twitter.com/y5a2WY4FU4
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 24, 2020
In another tweet, Shapiro added, “For the Woke Police, it is far more disqualifying for Bernie that he just touted the endorsement of [Joe Rogan], a person who says biological sex exists, than that Bernie has endorsed every communist regime of the last several decades and campaigns with anti-Semites.”
For the Woke Police, it is far more disqualifying for Bernie that he just touted the endorsement of @joerogan, a person who says biological sex exists, than that Bernie has endorsed every communist regime of the last several decades and campaigns with anti-Semites.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 24, 2020