Joe Rogan warns World War III is possible soon, urges restraint on Iran

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Joe Rogan warns World War III is possible soon, urges restraint on Iran! Robby Soave | RISING

Joe Rogan warns World War III is possible soon, urges restraint on Iran! Robby Soave | RISING

Quintessential swing voter Joe Rogan is very worried about the potential outbreak of World War III due to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have decimated the country’s military capabilities and have already provoked counterattacks on U.S. servicemembers, a spike in global oil prices, and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. Here was Rogan in a recent episode.  

That clip was during a conversation between Rogan and frequent Rising guest and friend Michael Shellenberger, who made the point that far from this being something President Trump has been tricked into, it’s actually been Trump’s stated policy — preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon — for years and years. Take a look:  

Shellenberger is rightly pointing out that we should avoid making the claim that Trump has been tricked or led into this war by someone else — because let’s be clear, Trump is in charge. He is not compromised or blackmailed or taking orders from foreign powers. He is doing what he thinks is in the best interests of America First: the decimation of Iran’s military and the deaths of the country’s totalitarian leaders. 

But what Trump needs to worry about is letting this military option become a regime change war. The American people are not on board with that, and MAGA is not on board with that. Regime change would take a ground invasion. It may involve a draft of U.S. citizens — something the White House has declined to rule out, which is a huge mistake. 

The Trump administration should worry more about alienating the Joe Rogan voters, who helped propel Trump to a decisive win in the 2024 election. With support from alternative, independent media, Trump was able to draw first-time voters, young people, even male minority groups into the Trump coalition. Trump doesn’t have to give non-interventionists every single thing they want, but he should be worried about alienating them completely. 

We also need to be cognizant that starting World War III would be disastrous. MAGA rightly feared that getting overly involved in the war between Ukraine and Russia was risking the apocalypse, and it was reasonable to urge restraint for that reason — to seek diplomacy and compromise. Getting over-involved in a war between Israel and Iran presents similar risks — not the exact same risks, but similar ones. 

But I’m also worried about the political risks. The Republicans are cruising for a bruising in the 2026 midterms, because their own voters do not believe that enough of the America First agenda is being implemented during this historic and unique moment in which the GOP controls all three branches of government. That level of control will not last much longer, at which point the administration might have to consider whether they broke one too many promises to their own voters. 

Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary. 

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