Episode 1996: Andy Stumpf | The Brogan Report

Why This Episode Is Problematic

Joe Rogan’s conversation with Andy Stumpf, a retired Navy SEAL and wingsuit record holder, took a concerning turn when they discussed a Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 vaccine study. Rogan read from and defended The Gateway Pundit’s misinterpretation of the study, spreading vaccine misinformation to millions of listeners.

The Cleveland Clinic Study Misrepresentation

What Rogan Claimed

During the episode, Rogan read an entire Gateway Pundit article claiming that a Cleveland Clinic peer-reviewed study showed “the higher the number of vaccines previously received, the higher the risk of contracting COVID-19.” When his producer Jamie Vernon pointed out that Wikipedia identifies The Gateway Pundit as spreading fake news and conspiracy theories, Rogan defended the outlet, saying “that’s not fake news. That’s real… They interpret the data very differently than the people at the Cleveland Clinic do.”

What the Study Actually Said

The Cleveland Clinic study was designed to evaluate bivalent vaccine effectiveness, not to prove that more vaccines cause more infections. Multiple fact-checkers have addressed this misinterpretation:

FactCheck.org clarified that the researchers didn’t find that more doses caused a higher risk of infection. Rather, this was an association that could be due to multiple confounding factors. The study’s co-author, Dr. Nabin Shrestha, stated that the original COVID-19 vaccine series was initially very effective and “saved a lot of lives.”

Science Feedback explained that the claim is misleading because it fails to account for the study’s actual design and purpose. The study wasn’t meant to evaluate whether more doses increase infection risk.

McGill University noted that the Cleveland Clinic paper actually showed the bivalent booster reduced infections by 30 percent, not increased them.

The Real Explanation

The association between more vaccine doses and positive tests likely reflects confounding factors:

Occupational exposure: People who receive more vaccine doses may have patient-facing jobs with higher COVID exposure
Testing frequency: Those getting more vaccines may test more frequently
Risk awareness: People at higher risk may both vaccinate more and encounter the virus more often

The study’s authors themselves noted this was an “unexpected finding” that “needs further study” - not a proven causal relationship.

Why This Matters

Misrepresenting scientific studies about COVID vaccines has real-world consequences:

Vaccine hesitancy: False claims that vaccines increase infection risk discourage people from getting protected
Public health impact: Lower vaccination rates lead to preventable hospitalizations and deaths
Trust in science: Misinterpreting studies undermines public trust in legitimate research

The Gateway Pundit Problem

Rogan’s defense of The Gateway Pundit is particularly concerning. This outlet has a well-documented history of spreading conspiracy theories and false information. By reading their misinterpretation uncritically and defending them against accurate Wikipedia labeling, Rogan legitimized a known source of misinformation to his massive audience.

Context About the Guest

Andy Stumpf himself is not a medical expert - he’s a retired Navy SEAL and extreme sports athlete. While he has an impressive military and athletic background, neither he nor Rogan have the expertise to properly interpret complex epidemiological studies. The conversation would have benefited from consulting actual epidemiologists or the study authors themselves.

The Pattern Continues

This episode exemplifies a recurring problem on JRE: taking complex scientific studies out of context to support anti-vaccine narratives. Rather than inviting the Cleveland Clinic researchers to explain their findings, Rogan chose to amplify a misinterpretation from a conspiracy website.