President Donald Trump cracked a joke about wanting to take a psychedelic for symptoms of anxiety and depression during a White House event touting the benefits of the drugs.
Joe Rogan, who has been fiercely critical of Trump’s war in Iran, was a special guest in the Oval Office Saturday morning to witness the president sign an executive order to “accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness,” including psychedelic therapies, which Rogan advocates.
Trump touted the success of the psychedelic drug ibogaine—a Schedule I controlled substance—and cited a study in which he said participants experienced an “80 to 90 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“Can I have some, please?” Trump quipped, prompting the room to erupt in laughter. “I’ll do whatever it takes…I don’t have to be depressed. If you stay busy enough, maybe that’s what works too, that’s what I do.”
Rogan said the executive order came about after he sent Trump a text message about psychedelic therapies.
“I want to tell everybody how this happened,” Rogan said. “I sent President Trump some information… the text message that came back: ‘Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it,’” Rogan claimed. “It was literally that quick.”
Trump clarified that he “had it checked out” with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was also in attendance Saturday, and other members of his administration. “I didn’t just do it,” the president said.
The president also took a swipe at Rogan for being a “liberal.”
“We all respect Joe. He’s a little bit more liberal than me and that’s okay,” Trump said.
It comes as Rogan blasted Trump’s “terrifying” war in Iran Thursday on his podcast.
“Anytime you’re involved with you’re shooting missiles into towns and blowing things up, blowing up infrastructure, blowing up bridges, you know, and Israel’s blowing up Lebanon,” he said. “Now, it’s like, What the f*** are we doing? How is this still going on?”
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