Joe Rogan warns masked ICE agents are detaining U.S. citizens, days before midterms

Podcaster Joe Rogan said Saturday that masked federal immigration agents are "snatching up" people, including American citizens. He also warned that these tactics set dangerous precedents for future administrations, Newsweek reported ¹.

Rogan spoke with Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, hosts of the podcast TRIGGERnometry. He endorsed Donald Trump in 2024. His remarks come days before the November 3 midterm elections ¹.

What Rogan said

And some of them happen to be American citizens.

Rogan argued that even people who back Trump's crackdown should think about how a later administration could use the same powers. Of those who accept the tactics, he said they have "opened up the fucking hen house." ¹

He did not reject immigration enforcement. He pointed to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and other criminal groups, and said support for ICE going after them is "pretty strong." ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that arrests and detains people ¹.

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The reports behind his warning

Newsweek said an investigation by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom, identified more than 500 U.S. citizens detained by federal immigration agents since Trump returned to office in January 2025 ¹.

In September, two 17-year-old citizens said they were assaulted and held for about eight hours after stopping to record an ICE operation in Alamo, Texas. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the teenagers had interfered with the operation ¹.

DHS says American citizens are not targeted for immigration arrests. It also says people who obstruct agents can be arrested regardless of citizenship. Newsweek said it emailed ICE for comment on Saturday ¹.

A pattern, not a first

This is not Rogan's first break with the administration. He has criticized masked agents before, and in March he said Trump's Iran war seemed "so insane, based on what he ran on," according to AlterNet ¹². On Saturday he also said the Iran decision hurt Trump's presidency badly ¹.

The relationship is not a clean break. In April, Rogan stood beside Trump at the White House when the president signed an order speeding up review of psychedelic treatments such as ibogaine ¹.

Why it matters

That matters because of who Rogan reaches. Edison Research exit polls found Trump won about 48 percent of men ages 18 to 29 in 2024, roughly matching Kamala Harris. An October YouGov survey across eight battleground states found young men favoring Democrats 55 percent to 35 percent ¹.

Newsweek noted that Rogan's comments do not show how his audience will vote. The RealClearPolling average as of October 29 had Democrats ahead by about eight points on the generic congressional ballot. An October Pew survey put Trump's approval at 30 percent ¹.

The Record

1. Mar 10, 2026AlterNet reports Rogan calling Trump's Iran war actions "so insane, based on what he ran on." ²
2. Oct 14, 2026Rogan tells actor Michael Douglas that some of what Trump stood for "turned out to not be real." ¹
3. Oct 31, 2026Rogan tells TRIGGERnometry hosts masked agents are detaining people, some of them citizens. ¹

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<h2>Joe Rogan warns masked ICE agents are detaining U.S. citizens, days before midterms</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/joe-rogan-warns-masked-ice-agents-are-detaining-u-s-citizens-days-before-midterms">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, October 31, 2026.</em></p> <p>Podcaster Joe Rogan said Saturday that masked federal immigration agents are &quot;snatching up&quot; people, including American citizens. He also warned that these tactics set dangerous precedents for future administrations, Newsweek reported .</p> <p>Rogan spoke with Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, hosts of the podcast TRIGGERnometry. He endorsed Donald Trump in 2024. His remarks come days before the November 3 midterm elections .</p> <h2>What Rogan said</h2> <blockquote><p>And some of them happen to be American citizens.</p><p>&mdash; Joe Rogan, podcaster, host of The Joe Rogan Experience</p></blockquote> <p>Rogan argued that even people who back Trump&#39;s crackdown should think about how a later administration could use the same powers. Of those who accept the tactics, he said they have &quot;opened up the fucking hen house.&quot;</p> <p>He did not reject immigration enforcement. He pointed to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and other criminal groups, and said support for ICE going after them is &quot;pretty strong.&quot; ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that arrests and detains people .</p> <h2>The reports behind his warning</h2> <p>Newsweek said an investigation by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom, identified more than 500 U.S. citizens detained by federal immigration agents since Trump returned to office in January 2025 .</p> <p>In September, two 17-year-old citizens said they were assaulted and held for about eight hours after stopping to record an ICE operation in Alamo, Texas. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the teenagers had interfered with the operation .</p> <p>DHS says American citizens are not targeted for immigration arrests. It also says people who obstruct agents can be arrested regardless of citizenship. Newsweek said it emailed ICE for comment on Saturday .</p> <h2>A pattern, not a first</h2> <p>This is not Rogan&#39;s first break with the administration. He has criticized masked agents before, and in March he said Trump&#39;s Iran war seemed &quot;so insane, based on what he ran on,&quot; according to AlterNet . On Saturday he also said the Iran decision hurt Trump&#39;s presidency badly .</p> <p>The relationship is not a clean break. In April, Rogan stood beside Trump at the White House when the president signed an order speeding up review of psychedelic treatments such as ibogaine .</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>That matters because of who Rogan reaches. Edison Research exit polls found Trump won about 48 percent of men ages 18 to 29 in 2024, roughly matching Kamala Harris. An October YouGov survey across eight battleground states found young men favoring Democrats 55 percent to 35 percent .</p> <p>Newsweek noted that Rogan&#39;s comments do not show how his audience will vote. The RealClearPolling average as of October 29 had Democrats ahead by about eight points on the generic congressional ballot. An October Pew survey put Trump&#39;s approval at 30 percent .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/joe-rogan-warns-masked-ice-agents-are-detaining-u-s-citizens-days-before-midterms">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/joe-rogan-warns-masked-ice-agents-are-detaining-u-s-citizens-days-before-midterms.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “Joe Rogan Sounds Alarm on Trump's ICE 'Snatching Up' US Citizens” (2026-11-01). newsweek.com/joe-rogan-trump-ice-snatching-up-american-citiz
2. AlterNet, “'Betrayed': Joe Rogan turns on Donald Trump over new issue” (2026-03-10). alternet.org/betrayed-joe-rogan-turns-on-donald-trump-over-t

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