Podcaster Joe Rogan on Monday criticized a portion of President Trump’s recent settlement with the IRS that shields the president, his family and businesses from existing tax audits, calling the addendum “nuts.”
“That is so crazy,” Rogan said during an episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” with comedian Tom Segura as his guest. “Imagine like somebody accused you of murder, and it turns out you weren’t guilty of that murder, and then you sue them, and you go, ‘You can never prosecute me for murder again.’”
“That’s nuts,” he added.
Immunity from certain IRS claims for Trump and his family was part of an agreement made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to settle several long-running disputes, including a $10 billion lawsuit over leaked tax returns.
A memo signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the IRS was permanently barred from auditing Trump’s prior tax returns and “release, waives, acquits” its pending action. It also said the agency was “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing claims against the president.
That provision was quietly added to the broader agreement, which also established a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to compensate individuals who believe they were unfairly targeted by the federal government in prior administrations.
The fund has faced strong bipartisan pushback, with both Democrats and Republicans labeling it a “slush fund” that could give taxpayer money to people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including those who were convicted of violent crimes against police officers.
Trump and his eldest sons are not entitled to a payout from the fund but will be issued a formal apology, according to the DOJ.
Still, the IRS restrictions could prove financially beneficial to the president, as previous New York Times and ProPublica reporting found that an adverse ruling in a years-long tax audit could cost Trump more than $100 million.
The grant of immunity has raised concern among tax experts who argue it could undermine confidence in the system’s fairness, according to The Associated Press.
“This is an unprecedented remedy,” former IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel told the outlet. “People expect the same tax rules and enforcement framework to apply to everybody.”
The IRS has had an internal policy in place since 1977 that requires mandatory, annual audits for the tax returns of sitting U.S. presidents and vice presidents. Federal law also prohibits executive branch officers from “directly or indirectly” requesting the IRS start or stop a specific audit but includes a carveout for the attorney general.
Rogan endorsed Trump a day before the 2024 presidential election but has become unrelenting in his criticism of the president throughout his second term, railing against Trump’s handling of the conflict with Iran and his administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. He did, however, join Trump in the Oval Office last month for the signing of an executive order accelerating psychedelic drugs research.
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