Joe Rogan believes Ross Perot was spot-on when he warned voters in 1992 about the long-term consequences of free trade deals. In an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” with comedian Ron White, Rogan said Perot, who was an American businessman and independent presidential candidate in 1992 and 1996, foresaw the collapse of U.S. manufacturing due to corporate offshoring.
Perot’s Warnings
“American manufacturing collapsed,” Rogan said. “And they did it all for money. And they did it all because they were greedy. They were already rich.”
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Rogan praised Perot’s now-famous “giant sucking sound” comment, in which the third-party candidate described U.S. jobs heading to Mexico. During the 1992 presidential debates, Perot criticized the incentives that made it profitable for companies to relocate factories abroad, where labor was cheap and regulations were minimal.
“You can move your factory south of the border” Perot warned. “Pay $1 an hour for labor. Have no health care, no environmental controls, no pollution controls, and no retirement. And you don't care about anything but making money. There will be a giant sucking sound going off.”
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He also said that top trade advisers had told him the U.S. would face 12 to 15 years of economic disruption. According to Perot, the damage would be irreversible by the time Mexican and American wages met at $6 an hour.
After seeing the clip of Perot’s speech, White responded by calling him a visionary: “Jesus Christ, what a f***ing smart man. He would have been a great president.”
Debate Reform And Economic Confusion
Rogan said that Perot’s impact on the debates forced systemic changes. “They changed the whole way debates work after this… because Ross Perot tanked it,” he said. “They thought H.W. was going to go for a second term… and Ross Perot f***ed it up.” He was referring to President George H. W. Bush‘s failed 1992 reelection bid, which Perot disrupted by drawing a large share of votes as an independent. Bill Clinton became the next president.
The conversation then turned to how little sense today’s economy makes. Rogan and White joked about the complexity of the stock market and questioned the rationale behind international economic decisions.
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U.S.-Canada Trade And Tax Comparisons
The pair also riffed on trade with Canada. White joked, “Have you ever met a Canadian that had $35 in his pocket? No. They're all broke. They have $22.”
Rogan added that while Canada has socialized medicine, it’s still a capitalist society. They looked up federal tax rates and were surprised to find the U.S. top income tax rate is 37%, just above Canada's 33%. However, Rogan said that provincial taxes can push Canadian rates higher.
Despite that, his bigger issue was government spending. “You're being strong-armed into giving money to people that do a really shitty job of protecting your money and investing it in the country,” he said.
Trump And Economic Strategy Skepticism
The discussion ended with a jab at President Donald Trump. Rogan joked, “Trump’s playing golf, and in between swings, he's on the phone with presidents of countries. ‘We're going to need more money!'”
White quipped, “Is he playing checkers? Is he playing chess? He’s playing golf!” Rogan agreed, mocking the idea that there’s any deep strategy behind it all. Both expressed doubt that current economic policies are being guided by any coherent or long-term plan.
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