Joe Rogan Challenges Furious Vaccine Researcher to Debate Anti-Vaxxer RFK Jr on His Podcast for $100K Charity Donation

Podcaster Joe Rogan and billionaire Elon Musk have lashed out at a vaccine researcher who dismissed Rogan’s recent interview with anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as ‘nonsense’.

Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, on Saturday tweeted his concerns about Rogan’s interview with Kennedy, a longshot Democratic presidential candidate.

Kennedy in the interview repeated his debunked claims that common childhood vaccines cause autism, which Hotez called ‘just awful’ as he lamented ‘it’s clear many actually believe this nonsense.’

Rogan fired back with a challenge: ‘Peter, if you claim what RFK jr is saying is “misinformation” I am offering you $100,000.00 to the charity of your choice if you’re willing to debate him on my show with no time limit.’

Musk quickly chimed in to goad on the drama on Twitter, which he owns, tweeting that Hotez ‘just hates charity’ and saying the scientist is ‘afraid of a public debate, because he knows he’s wrong.’

However, in multiple tweets, Hotez indicated his willingness to appear on Rogan’s podcast, which reaches a massive audience of millions on Spotify.

‘I’m happy to come on and have a meaningful discussion. I respect you and your show and I don’t want an adversarial relationship. I think we can make some progress,’ tweeted Hotez. 

‘And I’m open to a number of different options, but to be pressured to give you an answer on Twitter, now, with a “take it or leave it” demand that’s not how I work. Honestly, I don’t even think that would be in your best interests,’ he wrote.

Kennedy also indicated his willingness to engage, tweeting: ‘Peter. Let’s finally have the respectful, congenial, informative debate that the American people deserve.’ 

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