Joe Rogan Experience #1391- Tulsi Gabbard & Jocko Willink

Gabbard argues that her criticism of Kamala Harris, opposition to regime-change wars, and endorsement of Bernie Sanders triggered coordinated hit pieces, smears like “Russian asset,” and party hostility because she threatens entrenched interests.

Rogan and Gabbard point to how quickly labels like “Assad supporter” spread, how outlets cheered interventions in Iraq and Libya, and even how the Washington Post framed ISIS leader al‑Baghdadi as an “austere religious scholar,” showing narrative engineering rather than neutral reporting.

Willink explains that real leadership requires defining end states, anticipating second- and third‑order effects, and having the will to both kill and take casualties—standards U.S. leaders often fail to meet in interventions like Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

All three criticize 60–75 second answers and ad‑interrupted debates as “political reality TV” optimized for ratings, arguing that longer, uninterrupted formats (like podcasts or League of Women Voters‑style forums) are essential to evaluating future leaders.

Gabbard’s Google ad account was mysteriously suspended during her breakout debate; she and Rogan cite bans on people for opinions, algorithmic amplification of outrage, and Facebook’s consolidation of platforms as reasons to apply antitrust law and new regulations to protect speech and data.