Sacks Says Iran War Cost GOP Podcast Allies
David Sacks argues the conflict pushed influential podcasters such as Joe Rogan away from the Republican Party.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Commentary
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Tech adviser David Sacks said on the All-In Podcast that the Iran war cost Republicans the support of popular podcast voices, naming Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, Theo Von and Megyn Kelly. Sacks credited these podcasts with helping Trump win in 2024.
Why it matters
Sacks blamed the war for fracturing the Republican base and said inflation growing faster than wages causes loss of purchasing power. The remarks highlight tensions between the party and media figures who once backed Trump, a dynamic that matters to voters across the United States.
Rogan endorsed Trump the day before the 2024 presidential election, and Von hosted Trump on his podcast about three months before that vote. Sacks' comments are the only account in the extraction of the claimed loss of these voices, and no polling on their listeners' current views is cited.
The players
David Sacks
David Sacks is a Silicon Valley investor and former White House AI and crypto adviser who co-hosts the All-In Podcast.
Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is a comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most listened-to podcasts in the world.
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson is a former Fox News host who now runs an independent media platform and has broken with Trump over foreign policy.
Theo Von
Theo Von is a comedian and podcast host whose show drew Trump as a guest about three months before the 2024 election.
Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly is a former Fox News and NBC host who runs an independent media network and was attacked by Trump in April.
The details
Sacks made the remarks on the All-In Podcast episode that aired Saturday. Trump attacked Carlson, Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones in a Truth Social post in April, and that post did not name Rogan or Von.
Timeline
2024: Trump appears on Rogan's show and Rogan endorses him the day before the election.
March: Rogan says the war left people feeling betrayed by a president who ran on ending wars.
April: Von calls Trump's Easter post threatening Iran's civilian infrastructure diabolical; Trump attacks critics on Truth Social.
June: Carlson says there is no chance he would support the Republican Party.
Saturday before publication: Sacks makes his remarks on the All-In Podcast.
Political Context
Sacks credits podcasts with helping Trump win in 2024, the same platforms Trump used to reach younger male voters that year. Carlson's June statement that he would not support the Republican Party marks a break from the coalition those shows once helped assemble.
For Republican voters who follow these podcasts, the split raises questions about where they will get political information ahead of upcoming elections. Readers who rely on podcast hosts for news may find their favorite voices taking positions that diverge from the party.
The takeaway
Shifts in which voices shape political opinion can change how a party holds its coalition together. Readers can weigh commentary from any single host against a range of sources before forming a view.
Further reading
For more analysis of how figures like these shape the party's direction, see Commentary in our politics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Benzinga.
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Do you think the Iran war has hurt the Republican Party's standing with voters?
