Rogan Tells Texas Democrat: 'You Need to Run for President'

Because he's not generally on the national stage, state Rep. James Talarico thought the emailed invitation to be on Joe Rogan's podcast was a phishing scam. But the podcaster did want to talk to the Texas Democrat, after watching a viral video in which Talarico discussed why he's opposed to posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. Those videos, which often address Christianity and politics, have brought the Texas Democrat almost 1 million followers on TikTok, Politico reports. Talarico made such an impression on the podcast, which was released Friday, that Rogan told him, "You need to run for president."

The student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary was considering a run for US Senate even before the appearance raised his profile. Talarico, 36, might be a good bet to help Democrats reach young men, for starters. He suggested Rogan is the kind of disaffected voter his party needs. "He speaks for a lot of people who don't feel like they belong in either political party, and are rightly suspicious of a corrupt political system," Talarico said. Among his suggestions for Democrats: "We need a new generation of leaders in this party to step up." Politico's Q&A with Talarico can be found here.