"It's Not Real Racism, It's a Joke" - Joe Rogan Responds to Controversy Over His Bernie Sanders Endorsement

The podcast host took aim at news outlets and social media's "hate brigade" for their reaction to Sanders' embrace of his endorsement for president.

Last week, both Joe Rogan and Bernie Sanders came under fire after the Vermont Senator posted a clip of the controversial podcast host praising the consistency of his stance on a broad range of policies.

And while some saw Rogan's endorsement as a win for Sanders, almost instantly, Twitter lit up with highlight reels of Rogan's most offensive on-air comments, charging the host with being shamelessly racist, homophobic, and transphobic, and asking Sanders to reconsider his acceptance of Rogan's backing.

READ: Old Clips of Joe Rogan's Racist and Transphobic Comments Resurface Following Bernie Sanders' Support of His Endorsement

Now, the podcast host has weighed in on the storm caused by the embrace of his endorsement. In an excerpt from an upcoming episode of his show, Rogan takes aim at news outlets and social media's "hate brigade," charging his critics with engaging in "a race to woke" as he attempts to contextualize his comments on trans athletes participating in UFC fights, touting trans friends like comedian Eddie Izzard as evidence of his tolerance. He also admits to being an odd person to hinge a vote to. "Here's a really important point: I'm a fucking moron," Rogan half-jokes as he questions why his listeners would consider his political stance in voting for a president.

When it came to Rogan's prior use of the n-word, he claimed: "It's not real racism, it's a joke. There's a difference."

Watch Joe Rogan's full response below.