Episode 2132: Andrew Schulz

Episode Overview

In this 4-hour episode, comedian Andrew Schulz joins Joe Rogan for a conversation that includes substantial health misinformation about ivermectin and COVID-19 vaccines, conspiracy theories about federal raids on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ properties, and misleading claims about pharmaceutical industry influence.

Major Problems

1. Ivermectin Effectiveness Misinformation

The Claim: Rogan stated there are randomized controlled trials showing ivermectin to be effective for COVID-19 treatment and referenced Uttar Pradesh, India as having “incredible results” with ivermectin.

The Problem: The scientific evidence contradicts these claims:

• A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 studies with 15,376 participants found ivermectin showed “no significant impact on critical outcomes such as mortality, mechanical ventilation, or polymerase chain reaction conversion”
• Multiple fact-checking organizations (PolitiFact, Health Feedback, Science Feedback) have rated the Uttar Pradesh claims as FALSE
• Only 34 of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh were declared COVID-free, not the entire state
• No causal evidence links ivermectin use to case decline in Uttar Pradesh
• Other factors including vaccination, lockdowns, and immunity from previous infection were likely responsible
• India’s own health authorities stopped recommending ivermectin in September 2021 due to lack of scientific evidence

Sources:

• BMC Infectious Diseases (2024): Multi-centre double-blind RCT on ivermectin
• Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2025): Systematic review showing no impact on COVID outcomes
• PolitiFact: “No scientific basis for claims of ivermectin’s success in Uttar Pradesh, India”
• Health Feedback: “No evidence suggests a causal link between ivermectin recommendation and the decline of COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh”

2. FDA Lawsuit Settlement Misrepresentation

The Claim: The episode presented the FDA’s deletion of ivermectin-related social media posts as a vindication of ivermectin’s effectiveness, suggesting the FDA was forced to admit wrongdoing.

The Problem: This misrepresents the legal settlement:

• The FDA settled to avoid continued litigation over 4-year-old posts, not because the posts were scientifically inaccurate
• The FDA explicitly stated in the settlement that it “has not changed its position that currently available clinical trial data do not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID-19”
• The court ruled on whether the FDA overstepped its authority in giving medical advice, NOT on ivermectin’s effectiveness
• The FDA did not admit to wrongdoing under the settlement terms
• The agency maintained it “has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19”

Sources:

• CNN: “FDA settles lawsuit over ivermectin content” (March 2024)
• Science Feedback: “No, a court didn’t rule that the FDA broke the law with advisory warning against using ivermectin for COVID-19”
• Bloomberg Law: “Texas Doctors Force FDA to Remove Covid-19 Posts in Settlement”

3. Vaccine Safety Skepticism Without Evidence

The Claim: The episode included broad skepticism about vaccine safety for newborns and children, suggesting pharmaceutical industry influence corrupts medical narratives and vaccination recommendations.

The Problem:

• The discussion presented concerns without providing credible scientific evidence
• Creating doubt about routine childhood vaccinations can lead to decreased vaccination rates and disease outbreaks
• The claim that networks avoid discussing “vaccine injuries” ignores the robust vaccine adverse event reporting systems that exist
• Vaccines undergo extensive safety testing before approval and continued monitoring afterward

4. P. Diddy Conspiracy Theory

The Claim: Andrew Schulz promoted a conspiracy theory that federal raids on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ properties weren’t actually about Diddy, but were orchestrated by powerful people to retrieve potentially incriminating footage of themselves.

The Problem:

• This is unfounded speculation presented without evidence
• The raids were part of a federal sex-trafficking investigation with search warrants
• Promoting evidence-free conspiracy theories undermines public trust in law enforcement
• The theory implies federal law enforcement would illegally participate in evidence destruction for powerful individuals

Why This Matters

This episode exemplifies the ongoing problem with the Joe Rogan Experience platform: mixing entertainment with health misinformation that can influence millions of listeners. When Rogan and guests present debunked claims about COVID treatments as credible, misrepresent legal settlements as scientific vindication, and promote vaccine skepticism without evidence, it can lead to:

1. People making poor health decisions based on misinformation
2. Decreased trust in legitimate public health guidance
3. Lower vaccination rates potentially leading to disease outbreaks
4. Perpetuation of conspiracy theories that erode institutional trust

The episode’s 4-hour runtime allows extensive discussion of these problematic claims without adequate scientific pushback or fact-checking.

Conclusion

Episode 2132 demonstrates how casual conversation format can normalize misinformation. By presenting FDA lawsuit settlements as scientific vindication, promoting debunked claims about ivermectin in India, and expressing general vaccine skepticism, Rogan and Schulz spread health misinformation to their massive audience under the guise of “just asking questions” and discussing “free speech versus misinformation.”