Joe Rogan has lost his Number One slot to a show critical of President Donald Trump, The MeidasTouch Podcast, according to Podscribe data.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Rogan for comment.
Why It Matters
The podcast charts have largely been dominated by shows with a conservative or pro-Trump voice, and the likes of Joe Rogan, Shawn Ryan and Ben Shapiro have frequently appeared in the top 10. Trump himself appeared on a number of these podcasts, eschewing traditional media outlets, as part of his successful bid for reelection in 2024.
Less than a month into the new administration, the rise of the left-leaning MeidasTouch to become the country’s most popular podcast indicates a potential shift in tone currently resonating with Americans.
Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images
What To Know
The Joe Rogan Experience has long dominated the podcast chart, but this month he slipped down into the second spot, according to Podscribe. His podcast was downloaded and played 48.6 million times, a 32 percent decrease from the previous month. The MeidasTouch Podcast took top spot with 56 million downloads and plays, increasing in reach by 101 percent this month.
MeidasTouch was founded by three brothers Ben, Brett and Jordy Meiselas. It is described on its website as: “A pro-democracy news network,” the organization first started with creating viral videos and political ads opposing Trump and supporting Democratic candidates.
The podcast is critical of Trump, and in the most recent episode, Ben Meiselas said “The buck stops with you, whether Trump wants to admit it or not, he needs to take responsibility for everything that is going on and I think it is up to the people to hold him responsible and I know that’s what we’re gonna do here every single day.”
Trump’s election campaign podcast appearances were influenced by his youngest child, Barron Trump, who was the reason behind his father doing interviews on Adin Ross and Bussin With the Boys. Trump told Fox News’ Maria Batriromo in October that Barron “tells me about all the ‘hot’ guys, people I’ve never heard of.”
When Trump claimed victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, his longtime friend Dana White thanked some of the hosts of podcasts Trump had appeared on during the campaign. “I want to thank the NELK Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, Bussin With The Boys, and last but not least, the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan,” he said.
What People Are Saying
In an email shared with Newsweek, MeidasTouch cofounder Ben Meiselas said: “It’s great to see the message reaching people who seek the truth and are ready to stand up for democracy.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter MeidasTouch wrote: “The MeidasTouch Podcast is officially the #1 podcast in the U.S. per the newly released Podscribe industry rankings, with 57.7 MILLION downloads and views per month.”
NEWS: The MeidasTouch Podcast is officially the #1 podcast in the U.S. per the newly released Podscribe industry rankings, with 57.7 MILLION downloads and views per month pic.twitter.com/ghdEK90Co2
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) February 18, 2025
Congressman Robert Garcia in a post on X: “Congrats to @MeidasTouch. Well done @meiselasb and the whole crew. We need to be everywhere to reach working people and get our message out. Let’s keep it up.”
What’s Next
Whether MeidasTouch will hold onto the top spot, or whether more anti-Trump podcasts start to climb the charts, remains to be seen.
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Update 2/19/25, 6:57 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Ben Meiselas.
