Joe Rogan sparked ridicule after discovering the hardcore band Turnstile on his podcast and claiming, without evidence, that US rap had "fallen off the charts" because of the defunding of USAID. During a "Protect Our Parks" episode with comedians Shane Gillis, Mark Normand and Ari Shaffir, Rogan alleged that the US foreign aid agency had been funding "radical anti-government rappers" abroad as part of efforts at regime change, citing information he had read online, including from Mike Benz, a Trump administration speechwriter.

There is no evidence supporting Rogan's claim about USAID's impact on the US rap charts; the closest documented case is a 2009 attempt by a US government contractor to recruit Cuban rapper Aldo Rodriguez to encourage anti-government sentiment. USAID's functions were folded into the State Department in July 2025 following cuts driven by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, and Rogan previously clashed with Bono over the humanitarian toll of the cuts, which the U2 singer said could cost 300,000 lives. Turnstile, meanwhile, continue their rise with a Halifax headline show on 26 August, a support slot for Tyler, The Creator at All Points East two days later, and a Camp Flog Gnaw 2026 appearance in Los Angeles in November.