7 Key Takeaways From Joe Rogan’s Interview With Poilievre

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a surprise appearance on one of the most popular podcasts in the world on March 18, where he made the case for lower U.S. tariffs on Canada.

Poilievre spoke with American comedian, UFC commentator, and podcaster Joe Rogan for more than two hours during his trip to the United States. The conversation touched on subjects like U.S. President Donald Trump’s “51st state” comments, Canadian oil and gas, Alberta separation, and mixed martial arts.

Here are seven takeaways from the conversation.

Canadian Energy

Poilievre told Rogan that the United States currently receives a “huge price discount for our oil” because Canada’s oil infrastructure runs north-south.

“So we accept, unfortunately and for now, a price discount on the oil we send you, which can translate into more jobs and paychecks, but also lower energy prices,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre said the Canadian government takes too long to approve permits for natural resource projects, and he would tighten the process as prime minister. The Liberal government has introduced a Major Projects Office to reduce approval times from five years to two. Tories say that still means it’s the government who chooses which projects can be prioritized, whereas they say the government should remove restrictions so that the private sector can build more projects.

When Rogan asked if safeguards were needed to protect the environment, Poilievre said that “we can figure out whether a project is damaging to the environment in weeks and months, rather than decades.” He pointed out that Germany was able to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in less than 200 days.

Rogan said he had seen “devastating” environmental impacts in Alberta from oil and gas extraction, to which Poilievre said, “No, it’s the most responsible oil extraction in the world.” Poilievre said while there was an environmental impact, “no matter what you do,” the oil sands are supported by those who live in the area.

“It’s been a really disgusting PR campaign by extremist environmentalists—and frankly, some of our competitors—to try and make our industry look bad,” Poilievre added.

Election Loss, Comments on Carney

Rogan asked Poilievre about his 2025 election loss at several points throughout the podcast episode, pressing him to provided details.

“Canadians do things through evolution, not revolution. So I’m just going to keep pushing my ideas, and I think that, overwhelmingly, will win the next election,” Poilievre said.

When Rogan said he was “baffled” that Poilievre lost the 2025 election, Poilievre said, “The people render their judgment, but it means I have to do a better job proselytizing.”

At another point in the conversation, Rogan questioned whether Poilievre would have become prime minister if Trump “didn’t go along with that 51st state nonsense.” The Conservative leader said he tried “not to cry over spilt milk” and to instead focus on the present.

Poilievre said prior to the last election, Liberal MPs had disagreed with his ideas, but during the election they “stole my policies.” But Poilievre said this meant he had “won,” and he has encouraged Prime Minister Mark Carney to continue using his policies.

“But he doesn’t want to,” Rogan said. “Well, I don’t want to criticize him on foreign soil,” Poilievre responded, adding that the two have “mutual respect.” Poilievre added that he has been texting Carney throughout his trip to the United States to update him on the progress.

Trump and Tariffs

At the outset of the conversation, Poilievre said Trump should remove his tariffs on Canada because “there’s so much we could be doing together as neighbours and partners, if we got rid of those tariffs.”

Poilievre said the removal of tariffs would improve affordability for Americans, as Canada is the largest supplier of lumber for home building, and a large supplier of aluminum for vehicle production. Poilievre also said aluminum tariffs are raising prices for the Ford F Series, the best-selling truck in the United States, as it has a military-grade aluminum body.

Poilievre also told Rogan that Canadians were right to be “upset” over Trump’s comments on Canada becoming the 51st state, and agreed with Rogan that it was a “crazy thing” for the U.S. president to say.

Poilievre also said he had not spoken with Trump about the tariffs, as he believed in “the rule of one prime minister at a time.”

Alberta Separation ‘Won’t Happen’

At one point in the interview, Rogan asked about the idea of Alberta separating, and Poilievre said it “won’t happen.”

“There’s some legitimate frustration. At the end of the day, Canada’s going to be united,” said Poilievre, who was raised in Alberta. He added that Albertans are patriotic and appreciate “rugged individualism.”

Elections Alberta has approved a petition question on provincial independence, with 177,732 valid signatures in favour of independence needing to be collected to trigger a referendum vote.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said a referendum on independence will be held later this year if the petition is successful and meets legislative requirements. According to a Jan. 23 Ipsos survey, 28 percent of Albertans support separating from Canada.

Smith responded to the podcast episode on X, saying Rogan was “100 percent correct” that “Alberta is a truly amazing place with some incredibly hardworking people.” Smith also invited Rogan to return to the province this summer for the Calgary Stampede.

MAID

Rogan said one of the aspects of Canada that “concerns” him is the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID), where around one in 20 Canadians now die through the procedure. Rogan said while there is “a place for” MAID, he was disturbed by the story of a 26-year-old Canadian who received MAID for Type 1 diabetes, partial vision loss, and seasonal depressive disorder.

Poilievre said his view is that “people should have the choice,” but he is concerned with the procedure being offered to children or people whose only condition is mental illness.

The Conservatives have introduced Bill C-260, the Care Not Coercion Act, which would prevent people in positions of authority, excluding doctors and nurses, from offering MAID to those who have not asked for it.

“When you’re calling up saying ‘I’m poor or I’m struggling, or I’m having a mental illness or I’ve got an injury,’ we shouldn’t have a government worker saying, ‘Well, consider MAID,’” Poilievre said.

Poilievre also said more needs to be done to give hope to Canadians suffering from mental illness and “a sense that they can take back control of their lives.” He said physical exercise and finding a sense of meaning can help with this.

Criminal Justice

Poilievre told Rogan he believes that Canada needs to “toughen up our justice system” to deal with people who have numerous criminal convictions but are repeatedly let out on bail.

“We don’t have a lot of criminals in Canada, but they do a tremendous amount of crime. So you take them off the street, you put them in prison, you can basically reduce the crime rate dramatically,” he said.

The Liberal government’s Bill C-14 creates new reverse onuses for bail for major crimes such as auto theft, breaking and entering, human smuggling, and sexual assault, meaning the accused will be required to prove why they should be released on bail, rather than prosecutors needing to prove they should be detained.

The Conservatives have pushed for the government to go further and get rid of the principle of restraint, which requires judges to release arrested individuals at the earliest opportunity and under the least onerous conditions.

Mixed Martial Arts

Poilievre also extensively discussed mixed martial arts with Rogan during the podcast episode. The Conservative leader said he was on his school’s wrestling team when he was younger, but “wicked tendonitis” in his shoulder forced him to quit, which he said was what initially got him into politics.

UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre looks on during UFC 315 at Bell Centre in Montreal on May 10, 2025. Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

“I’d go in and train, and it would be full of inflammation. No one could do anything about it. And so I was bored out of my mind,” Poilievre said, adding that he eventually asked his mom to take him to local meetings with the Conservative Association.

Rogan gave a “shout-out” to mixed-martial artist Georges St-Pierre for helping set up the interview between him and Poilievre. The Conservative leader said St-Pierre is “down to earth” while Rogan said he is “one of the greatest fighters that ever walked the face of the earth.”

Poilievre also brought up Canadian UFC fighter Mike Malott, who he said “did a great job in Montreal.” Back in May 2025, Poilievre attended Malott’s fight against American fighter Charles Radtke, which Malott won.

As the podcast interview wrapped up, Rogan said Poilievre’s message resonated with him and, “if I were Canadian, I would vote for you 100 percent.”