White House plaques became the focus of criticism this week after podcast host Joe Rogan mocked President Trump’s newly installed displays targeting past presidents. The debate over the White House plaques unfolded during a Thursday episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where Rogan reacted to language praising Trump while sharply criticizing former presidents.
Rogan, joined by comedian Shane Gillis, read from one plaque describing Joe Biden as the “worst president in American history,” citing failures such as the Afghanistan withdrawal. After reading it aloud, Rogan responded, “This is so crazy. You shouldn’t be allowed to do this. Right?” He added that historians should stick to “dry facts” when commemorating presidential history. “That’s a plaque in the White House,” Rogan said.
Gillis joked about the tone, saying, “He’s not beating the dictator charges. This is like an African dictatorship.” Rogan also reacted to reports that the Kennedy Center was being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, saying, “Oh, boy. Somebody needs to tell him, ‘Hey, this is not good. You can’t do that.’”
Rogan warned that the precedent could invite retaliation from future administrations. “Because then other people can do that too,” he said, arguing it could politicize the White House permanently. Gillis doubted future presidents would follow suit, but Rogan disagreed, pointing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Rogan also reacted to a plaque praising Ronald Reagan as an early Trump supporter. “That’s so disturbing,” he said. “That’s such crazy thinking.”
The White House defended the plaques, with spokesman Davis Ingle stating they “should be celebrated by all Americans” and calling the Presidential Walk of Fame “a great addition to the People’s House.”
