Dave Smith — Libertarian comedian and political commentator, host of the 'Part of the Problem' podcast and co-host of 'Legion of Skanks.' Known for anti-war, non-interventionist foreign-policy views and frequent JRE appearances.
The gist
Joe Rogan and Dave Smith spend nearly three hours on politics, war, and media. Smith lays out a sweeping non-interventionist critique of US foreign policy — Ukraine, the Iraq War, the drone wars in Yemen, the Houthis, and Israel-Palestine — arguing America's wars are driven by neocon plans and lobbying rather than self-defense. They dissect domestic flashpoints including the Signal group-chat leak, the George Floyd case and 2020 riots, mass immigration and deportation policy, COVID lockdowns, and the lab-leak coverup. A recurring theme is the collapse of legacy media propaganda and the rise of independent long-form podcasts, with extended praise for Daryl Cooper's historical work. They close on AI, the end of easy lying, and why Kamala Harris's 'astroturfed' campaign had to lose.
Big reveals
- Smith recounts Wesley Clark saying on a Piers Morgan debate that the 'seven wars in five years' regime-change plan traces back to Paul Wolfowitz in 1991, revived later via an Israeli-funded study.
- Joe and Dave cite Robert Gibbs admitting on NBC he was instructed as press secretary to never even acknowledge the drone program existed.
- Smith argues ticketing/policing-for-profit and arrest quotas turn cops into 'glorified revenue collectors.'
- Smith says he was an early promoter of Daryl Cooper and that cancellation attempts only made Cooper's podcast bigger.
- Smith says if Trump invades Iran he will publicly apologize for voting for him — calling it a mistake if it happens.
- Both claim real journalism today only exists independently — naming Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, and Michael Shellenberger.
- Smith and Rogan describe an alleged Democratic strategy of moving migrants into swing states toward eventual voting majorities.
Things worth remembering
- Smith jokes about being paid '$1,400 in a day' to attend both a Kamala Harris rally and a pro-Tesla protest.
- They describe Yemen (2015-2021) as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, citing a Saudi blockade and mass cholera deaths.
- Rogan cites Constantin Kisin's claim that the UK arrested roughly 4,000 people over social-media posts versus ~400 in Russia.
- They debate George Floyd's autopsy: 11 ng/dL fentanyl and 19 ng/dL meth, with Rogan arguing neck compression was still decisive.
- Smith uses the Good Will Hunting 'pick the wrench' scene as an analogy for cycles of retaliatory violence.
- Smith argues the 'peace candidate' has won nearly every recent US presidential election, from Bush 2000 to Trump 2024.
- Rogan predicts a 100%-accurate retina-reading lie-detector app within their lifetime.
- Smith credits Trump with landing 'devastating blows' on both the Republican and Democratic establishments and the corporate media.
- Dave Smith plugs Skankfest in New Orleans (September) and comicdavesmith.com for tour dates.