Joe Rogan’s October 13, 2021, interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on The Joe Rogan Experience (episode #1718) is a BrokenTruth.TV Hall of Fame clip for exposing CNN’s role in corrupting science and media during the COVID crisis. This moment, recently resurfaced on X, captures Rogan confronting Gupta over CNN’s claim that he was taking “horse dewormer”—ivermectin—after using it to treat COVID in September 2021.
The Facts
Rogan contracted COVID and used ivermectin, a drug approved for human use to treat parasitic infections, alongside monoclonal antibodies and a vitamin drip. CNN labeled ivermectin a “horse dewormer,” ignoring its human applications, to discredit Rogan. In the clip, Rogan calls out Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, for the network’s misrepresentation. Gupta admits, “They shouldn’t have said that,” conceding the framing was misleading. The exchange aired when the FDA was discouraging ivermectin use for COVID, despite emerging studies suggesting potential benefits. Additionally, CNN appears to have affected the footage of Rogan discussing ivermectin when he was sick with COVID, giving a ‘zombie’ like effect with Rogan appearing more ill form COVID than he actually was.
The Fallout
The clip went viral, with millions viewing it on Spotify. It deepened public distrust in media—Gallup polls from 2021 showed only 36% of Americans trusted the medical system, down from 44% pre-COVID. The “horse dewormer” label became a rallying cry for those questioning official COVID treatments, a debate still alive in 2025. Gupta faced backlash from CNN colleagues for appearing on Rogan’s “fringe” platform, but the moment forced rare accountability from a mainstream outlet. The FDA’s role came under fire too, when a 2023 lawsuit, led by doctors including Dr. Mary Bowden, forced them to remove a tweet from August 2021 that read, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” mocking ivermectin use.
Corruption of Science and Media
CNN’s “horse dewormer” framing was a deliberate tactic to control the narrative, burying ivermectin’s human use and research like a 2022 Brazil study showing a 92% reduction in COVID deaths among regular users. The media, alongside Big Tech and health agencies, suppressed discussion of alternatives to vaccines—the 2022 Twitter Files revealed government censorship of dissenting voices. Science was weaponized: the FDA’s warnings, amplified by their now-removed tweet, ignored conflicting data, while CNN’s rhetoric prioritized optics over facts, eroding trust in both institutions.
Dr. Mary Bowden, a Houston physician, became a target in this war on science. In 2021, she prescribed ivermectin to a Fort Worth law enforcement officer, Jason Jones, after another hospital refused it for his COVID treatment. Houston Methodist Hospital suspended her privileges, accusing her of “spreading COVID-19 misinformation,” and Texas Health Huguley Hospital sued her, calling the drug “medically inappropriate.” Bowden resigned, but fought back, joining a 2022 lawsuit against the FDA over their anti-ivermectin campaign, including the “horse” tweet. The suit, backed by doctors like Bowden who treated over 2,000 COVID patients without hospitalizations, forced the FDA to remove the tweet in 2023, exposing their overreach.
Where to Watch The Joe Rogan Experience
Watch the full episode on Spotify, where The Joe Rogan Experience is hosted. Episode #1718, featuring Sanjay Gupta, is available for free—search “Joe Rogan Sanjay Gupta” or the episode number on Spotify’s app or website. Clips are often shared on X, where this Hall of Fame moment was recently highlighted.
Why It Matters
This clip exposed the corruption that defined the COVID era: media and science colluding to silence questions. From CNN’s smear tactics to the FDA’s forced tweet removal—spurred by Dr. Bowden’s lawsuit—to the attacks on doctors like her for prescribing ivermectin, the saga revealed a system more interested in control than truth. BrokenTruth.TV honors this moment as a stand against the machine.
John Davidson at BrokenTruth.TV is a Hollywood veteran and former CNN editor who left the network in 2000.
Learn more about Sanjay Gupta’s reporting, media deception, and more during COVID-19. Our award-winning documentary “Epidemic of Fraud” is available now, free for all.
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