Joe Rogan has forced CNN's chief medical correspondent into admitting that the network should never have described his Ivermectin COVID treatment as a 'horse de-wormer'.
Dr Sanjay Gupta appeared on the star's Spotify podcast on Wednesday to discuss Ivermectin's use as a COVID-19 treatment and after a tense back-and-forth, Gupta eventually agreed that the anti-parasite drug, which was prescribed to Rogan by a doctor, should never have been repeatedly described on CNN as a horse de-wormer.
Former UFC commentator and Spotify star, Rogan, 54, drew criticism from Dr Anthony Fauci when he revealed he took the anti-parasite drug in an Instagram video last month.
Studies have shown that Ivermectin decreases viral loads and may prevent COVID deaths, but the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control recommend against using it for COVID, saying better studies are needed.
The FDA went so far as to issue a snarky tweet telling people: 'You are not a horse, you are not a cow. Seriously, y'all, stop it'.
Joe Rogan and CNN's Dr Sanjay Gupta debated the coverage of the anti-parasite drug Ivermectin
Rogan slammed the network for 'lying' by saying he took 'horse de-wormer,' despite the fact that his Ivermectin pills, which are used widely around the world, were prescribed by a doctor
Gupta seemed overwhelmed by Rogan's line of questioning: 'We're going so fast'
Rogan recovered last month after what he called a 'kitchen sink' approach.
On Wednesday's episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he repeatedly pressed Gupta on his coworkers' claims that he took animal drugs.
'Calling it a horse de-wormer is not the most flattering thing, I get that,' Gupta said.
'It's a lie,' Rogan responded.
'It's a lie on a news network … and it's a lie that they're conscious of. It's not a mistake. They're unfavorably framing it as veterinary medicine.'
Gupta pointed to what he called a 'snarky' tweet by the FDA telling people they are 'not a horse,' seemingly comparing it to his CNN colleague's statements.
'Why would you say that when you're talking about a drug that's been given out to billions and billions of people? A drug that was responsible for one of the inventors winning the Nobel Prize in 2015?
'A drug that has been shown to stop viral replication in vitro - you know that, right? Why would they lie and say that's horse de-wormer? I can afford people medicine, motherf*****. This is ridiculous,' Rogan said, prompting Gupta to laugh.
Gupta seemed to compare his CNN colleague's assertions to the above tweet by the FDA
Ivermectin, available in human and animal concentrations, is used by 250 million people a year. Studies show it helps reduce viral load, but health experts say more research is needed
Ivermectin is available over-the-counter for horses, though health authorities have warned against humans taking the larger animal concentrations.
Rogan went on to criticize mainstream media for pushing a false narrative about Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum, anti-parasitic 'wonder drug' taken by 250 million people a year, according to a 2015 Nobel lecture.
'It's just a lie, but don't you think a lie like that is dangerous on a news network, when you know that they know they're lying?' Rogan asked.
Gupta seemed overwhelmed: 'We're going so fast.'
'Dude, they lied and said I was taking horse de-wormer,' Rogan shot back. 'First of all, it was prescribed to me by a doctor along with a bunch of other medications.'
Gutpa conceded: 'If you got a human pill - because there are people that were taking the veterinary medication, and you're not, obviously, you got it from a doctor - so it shouldn't be called that.
'Ivermectin can be a very effective medication for parasitic disease and, as you say, it's probably a quarter billion people have taken it around the world.'
'More, way more. Billions of people have taken it,' Rogan said.
'Does it bother you that the network you work for out and lied, just outright lied about me taking horse de-wormer?' Rogan asked point-blank.
'They shouldn't have said that,' Gupta finally admitted.
'Why did they do that?' Rogan asked.
'I don't know,' Gupta said.
'You didn't ask? You're the medical guy over there,' Rogan charged.
'I didn't ask, I should have asked before coming on the podcast,' Gupta said.
Gupta, 51, is a practicing neurosurgeon and professor at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. He attended the University of Michigan medical school and joined CNN in 2001.
The CNN correspondent's talk with Rogan started out on fairly friendly terms, with Gupta telling Rogan he was 'glad' that he was better.
'Thank you,' Rogan responded. 'You're probably the only one at CNN who's glad … The rest of them are all lying about me
