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Joe Rogan.
- Joe Rogan said on his podcast that he plans to vote for Bernie Sanders in this year's Democratic primary elections.
- Sanders has embraced Rogan's support, turning it into an advertisement he shared with his Twitter followers.
- Rogan, a comedian and cultural commentator, is controversial for past comments widely considered to be sexist, homophobic, racist, and transphobic.
- While some Sanders supporters praised him for reaching voters across the aisle, others scorned him for welcoming Rogan.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Reactions from across the political spectrum have poured in after Joe Rogan endorsed Bernie Sanders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Rogan, a comedian and who first became famous as a UFC commentator, made the endorsement on his popular podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience." Rogan's YouTube channel, which hosts the podcast, has 7.29 million followers and each of its videos receives hundreds of thousands of views.
Sanders has welcomed the support. His campaign turned a video of the endorsement into an advertisement on Twitter.
Rogan made his endorsement for the Vermont Senator on Monday, when his podcast guest, New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss, asked him who he planned to vote for in the presidential primary.
"He's been insanely consistent his entire life," Rogan said. "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 also said that it's "easy" to "dig up dirt on every single human being" by honing in on their "worst moment" and then magnifying it. "That said," Rogan mused, "you can't find very many with Bernie."
Twitter erupted in response
Some celebrated Sanders' ability to reach across the aisle and gain the support of a self-proclaimed Republican. Sanders himself was a guest on Rogan's podcast in August 2019.
But others were disturbed by Rogan's past commentary, some of which has been condemned as racist and transphobic. In 2013, for example, Rogan told a bizarre story about watching "Planet of the Apes" in a black neighborhood and describing it as walking "into Africa." That same year, he also insulted MMA fighter Fallon Fox, a transgender woman, saying she was "a f---ing man. ... I don't care if you don't have a d--- anymore." In the past, Rogan has also used misogynistic and homophobic slurs.
One person said that while some of Rogan's past commentary can be viewed as dangerous, they would rather have his massive reach work in Sanders's favor during the 2020 election.
Others condemned Sanders for welcoming Rogan into his corner.
Representatives for the Sanders campaign and for Rogan didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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