Over the weekend, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan stirred up a controversy as they urged a prominent vaccine scientist, Dr. Peter Hotez, to engage in a debate with Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a well-known skeptic of vaccines, on Rogan’s highly popular podcast, Fox News reported.
Rogan and Musk stir controversy by inviting vaccine scientist to debate Robert Kennedy Jr. on vaccines
Rogan extended an offer of $100,000 to the charity of Hotez’s choosing if he agreed to participate in a debate with Kennedy on his show. This offer came after Hotez criticized a recent interview in which Kennedy appeared on Rogan’s program, describing it as “awful” and “nonsense” and filled with baseless claims.
Kennedy, who is vying for the 2024 Democratic nomination, reiterated unfounded assertions he has long made, such as vaccines causing autism. Additionally, he and Rogan delved into their concerns about the alleged dangers of 5G technology and the influence wielded by the pharmaceutical industry.
In an attempt to encourage Hotez, who has been a frequent guest on CNN and MSNBC during the pandemic and has advocated for controversial mask and vaccine mandates, several other individuals also pledged substantial sums of money. The aim was to incentivize Hotez to engage in a debate with Kennedy, who, despite being a Democrat, has garnered praise from certain segments of the right for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines.
Spotify Has Stopped Even Sort of Trying to Stem Joe Rogan’s Vaccine Misinformation. It’s really true @annamerlan just awful. And from all the online attacks I’m receiving after this absurd podcast, it’s clear many actually believe this nonsense https://t.co/GwIFsOODC2
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) June 17, 2023
Rogan, Musk, and Hotez clash over vaccine debate with Kennedy
Following Hotez’s statement expressing his willingness to engage in a conversation with Rogan, Rogan swiftly criticized it as a “non-answer,” accusing Hotez of aligning himself with a disparaging Vice article that attacked Rogan’s interview with Kennedy.
Multiple other news sources, in addition to Vice, also criticized Spotify, the streaming platform that hosts Rogan’s show, for not labeling the interview as misinformation.
Musk, known for frequently participating in debates and discussions on the platform, added his voice to the conversation, suggesting that Hotez was “afraid of a public debate.”
Hotez characterized Musk’s stance as “monstrous,” prompting Musk to clarify that he generally supported vaccinations but expressed reservations specifically concerning the COVID shots.
“I am generally pro-vaccine,” Musk wrote. “I have been vaccinated against pretty much everything, as have my kids. Second, I think there is tremendous promise in synthetic mRNA. It is like medicine going from analog to digital.”
