Joe Rogan shares AI-generated deepfake video of Tim Walz
Joe Rogan aired an AI-generated deepfake video on his podcast in September 2025 depicting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz dancing in an anti-Trump shirt, initially insisting it was authentic before his producer convinced him it was fake. Social media users criticized Rogan for spreading the video without fact-checking it first.
What happened
On September 4, Joe Rogan shared an AI-generated video on his podcast showing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's face superimposed over footage of a TikTok user dancing down an escalator while wearing an anti-Trump shirt.
The original video was posted on August 6 by TikTok user @RoggenRoland showing him descending an escalator while singing along to 'Don't Cha' by The Pussycat Dolls. X user Jebra Faushay altered the video by swapping the face to depict Walz and shared it on social media, noting in her account that she posts 'satire.'
During the podcast, Rogan's producer Jamie Vernon told him the video was AI-generated and not real, but Rogan initially insisted it was authentic, saying 'I love it. It's gotta be real.' After Vernon repeatedly explained it was fake and pointed out text indicating 'AI-generated' at the top, Rogan finally admitted he had been confused and fallen for it.
Reported impact
Users on social media criticized Rogan for not fact-checking the video before sharing it with his audience, with some commenting that he had spread misinformation to his followers.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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