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Podcaster Joe Rogan suggested to Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Thursday that President Donald Trump may soon disclose classified information regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs)—commonly known as UFOs—as a strategic “distraction” from the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Rogan, a pivotal media figure credited with galvanizing “manosphere” and independent voters for Trump during the 2024 election, has recently joined a chorus of populist voices criticizing the administration’s second-term foreign policy. Despite Trump’s campaign promises to avoid “forever wars,” the current military operations in Iran have sparked a rift between the White House and some of its most influential media allies.
During a Thursday episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the host and the Tennessee congressman discussed why the executive branch might suddenly pivot toward transparency on a topic traditionally shrouded in “Deep State” secrecy.
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“What doesn’t totally make sense is why now—disclosure—other than, I mean this is being cynical… The Iran war is not going very well,” Rogan said, referencing the recent stalls in Operation Epic Fury. “The American public’s very upset. A lot of people don’t think we should have ever been involved in that in the first place. And we need some good news.”
“We need something to distract us,” Rogan added. “We need something to take our focus off—”
“If I was gonna do it, now would be the time I’d do it,” Burchett interjected.
While the congressman agreed the timing was suspicious, he maintained that Trump’s personal motivations might be more straightforward.
“I don’t think Trump really even cares [about the distraction]. I think he just wants to get it out there,” Burchett said. “I don’t think he cares about trying to get everybody off target by disclosing UFOs. I think he cares about all of it, but I don’t think he cares if they’re talking about it or not. I just think he genuinely sees that America needs to know this stuff.”
Rogan noted that Trump, despite being the incumbent, still leans into his “outsider” persona.
“He also realizes America wants to know it… and I mean, this is his last term, right? If someone’s going to do it, do it,” Rogan said. “You want to leave a legacy? Be the guy who releases all these files.”
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Burchett, a long-time advocate for UAP transparency on the House Oversight Committee, argued that even with a supportive president, “entrenched forces” within the defense establishment remain the primary obstacle.
“The war pimps at the Pentagon and everybody else, they just don’t give up that easy,” Burchett said, using his signature phrasing for military contractors and hawks.
He further criticized the administration’s broader spending, citing the lingering costs of the Ukraine conflict as a drain on domestic priorities.
“I haven’t voted for a dime for that. It’s not our dad gum war,” Burchett said. “Keep my dollars here. We need to defend our own dad gum borders.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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