Andrew Yang apologises after claiming Joe Rogan can’t be racist as he ‘works with Black people’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Andrew Yang has issued an apology for appearing to defend Joe Rogan from accusations of racism amid a viral video of the podcast host using the “N” word.
The one-time presidential candidate allegedly tweeted on Sunday: “I don’t think Joe Rogan is a racist, the man interacts and works with Black people literally all of the time.”
Although the businessman and part-time Democrat deleted the tweet a while later, screenshots of the remarks were widely shared.
Mr Yang said while “racism is real deep” he wanted to “believe the best of people – especially if I’ve met and spent time with that person,” in a series of posts addressing the defence of Rogan on Sunday night.
“I think we should have the capacity to forgive people – whether a podcaster or a mayor – if they mess up. Maybe it’s because I mess up too,” wrote Yang, who appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in February 2019.
Jamie Harrison, the Democratic National Committee chairman, wrote: “Dude … seriously?! You joking right Andrew? Is that now the new defining line … working with folks?!”
“I have no clue whether the guy is a racist or not,” Mr Harrison added in a following tweet of Rogan, “but I know damn well working with and interacting with folks are not the determinants of whether you are racist.”
Racism is real, deep, corrosive and even lethal. I know that. I made a mistake in an earlier tweet tonight that downplayed these realities.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) February 7, 2022
Mr Rogan took to Instagram on Saturday to offer his “sincerest apologies” for using the “N” word – and which appeared in a video circulated on social media last week by India Arie, a Grammy award winning musician who pulled her work from Spotify.
The singer said the podcaster’s comments had been “problematic and that she felt encouraged to “walk” through a door “opened” by Neil Young, another music artist who pulled their work from Spotify for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a message to staff on Sunday that Rogan’s racist comments had been “incredibly hurtful” and that the host had been behind the removal of a number of episodes which allegedly contained the remarks.
Dude… seriously?! You joking right Andrew? Is that now the new defining line… working with folks?! pic.twitter.com/PgBddFmK3f
— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) February 7, 2022
Last week, Rogan was subject to complaints and attacks around Covid misinformation aired on his popular podcast, forcing Spotify to promise a Covid warning label for such content.
Mr Elk added that while he “strongly condemn[ed] what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realise some will want more, and I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”
The Independent revealed last week that Spotify and other online platforms had allowed Covid misinformation to circulate via a number of podcasts, to which the audio platform said “the appropriate enforcement action is taken” when “dangerous” or “deceptive” content about Covid is identified.
Additional reporting by Associated Press.