Episode 1880: Tulsi Gabbard

Introduction

Episode 1880 of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, aired on October 11, 2022, and promoted harmful misinformation on multiple fronts. The episode is problematic for two primary reasons: first, Rogan and Gabbard amplified a thoroughly debunked anti-LGBTQ hoax about litter boxes in schools, and second, Gabbard repeated her pattern of echoing Russian propaganda narratives about the Ukraine war and alleged biological weapons laboratories.

The Litter Box Hoax: Anti-Trans Propaganda

The Claim

During the episode, Joe Rogan claimed that a school “had to install a litter box in the girls’ room because there is a girl who’s a furry, who identifies as an animal.” Gabbard did not question this fabricated story, instead responding that it was “absolutely insane.”

The Facts

This claim is completely false and has been thoroughly debunked by multiple fact-checking organizations:

Snopes rated claims of litter boxes in Michigan schools as “false” in early 2022. (Snopes)

PolitiFact found no credible news reports supporting the claim and rated it “Pants on Fire!” stating: “School districts in several states have debunked claims that they are providing litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate students who identify as furries.” (PolitiFact)

Reuters conducted two separate fact-checking assessments in July 2022 and October 2022, concluding that there was no evidence that schools were officially recognizing the animal expressions of students or accommodating them with litter boxes.

NBC News reported: “There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. Every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said either to NBC News or in public statements that these claims are untrue.” (NBC News)

The Harm

The litter box hoax has been wielded as an anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ cudgel by prominent right-wing figures including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the account Libs of TikTok. (Media Matters)

According to Wikipedia’s detailed documentation of this phenomenon, “the claims have been described as internet trolling, fearmongering, and transphobic.” The hoax emerged in 2021 and has been used by conservative politicians and media personalities to attack protections for transgender students. (Wikipedia)

By platforming this debunked hoax without fact-checking, Rogan and Gabbard contributed to the spread of anti-LGBTQ misinformation that has been used to justify discriminatory policies against transgender students.

Russian Propaganda on Ukraine

Gabbard’s Pattern of Echoing Kremlin Narratives

At the time of this October 2022 episode, Gabbard had established a troubling pattern of repeating Russian propaganda talking points about the Ukraine war:

Before the invasion (February 2022): Gabbard claimed “Biden can very easily prevent a war with Russia by guaranteeing that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO.”

Day of invasion (February 24, 2022): Gabbard stated “this war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns.”

March 2022: Gabbard made controversial statements claiming to be “deeply concerned” about biological weapons in Ukraine, endorsing Russian claims about U.S.-funded biological research facilities.

The Biological Weapons Conspiracy Theory

Gabbard’s claims about biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine were thoroughly debunked:

Pentagon response: The Pentagon fact sheet made clear that “unlike Russia, the United States and Ukraine are not developing biological weapons and are in full compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention.”

Scientific community: Russian scientists, both inside and outside Russia, publicly accused the Russian government of lying about evidence for covert “bioweapons labs” in Ukraine, explaining that documents presented by Russia’s Defense Ministry describe pathogens collected for public health research, not weapons development. (Wikipedia)

International bodies: The claim has been denied by the United States, Ukraine, the United Nations, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Political Reactions

Political leaders from both parties condemned Gabbard’s statements:

• Then-Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said Gabbard had embraced “actual Russian propaganda” and called it “traitorous.”
• Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) accused Gabbard of “parroting fake Russian propaganda” and “treasonous lies.” (Newsweek)
• Former U.S. ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder characterized her views on Russia and Putin as following “basically the Russian playbook.”

October 2022 Episode Content

During the October 11, 2022 Joe Rogan episode, Gabbard stated “Our leaders have pushed us to the brink of nuclear war” and described Putin as being “boxed into a corner” regarding potential nuclear weapon use. (Russia Matters)

This framing echoes Russian propaganda narratives that blame NATO and the West for Russian aggression, rather than holding Russia accountable for its illegal invasion of a sovereign nation.

Context: Leaving the Democratic Party

Just one day after this podcast episode aired, on October 12, 2022, Gabbard announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party, stating that she could “no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness.”

Conclusion

Episode 1880 demonstrates how Joe Rogan’s platform can amplify harmful misinformation when guests are not challenged on false claims. The episode promoted:

1. A thoroughly debunked anti-LGBTQ hoax that has been used to attack transgender students
2. Geopolitical misinformation that echoes Russian propaganda narratives about the Ukraine war

Both hosts failed to apply critical thinking or fact-checking to claims that had already been widely debunked by reputable sources. This episode illustrates the real-world harm that occurs when influential platforms spread misinformation without accountability.