Alex Berenson

Date: 2022-08-26 | Duration: 3h 4m

Episode Overview

Alex Berenson discusses his experience being banned from Twitter, revealing internal documents that show the White House pressured the platform to remove him due to his COVID-19 vaccine skepticism. He outlines the legal and constitutional complexities surrounding free speech on social media, emphasizing how Section 230 protections and California’s strong free speech laws intersect with corporate content moderation. Berenson shares emails from Twitter insiders and details his ongoing legal battle to obtain depositions that could expose government influence on private platforms. The conversation then shifts to COVID-19 vaccines, where Berenson critiques the narrative around their effectiveness, especially regarding infection and transmission. He highlights the evolving understanding of vaccine benefits, pointing out that while vaccines may have saved lives early on, their impact has diminished with variants like Omicron. Berenson also raises concerns about underreported adverse effects, such as myocarditis and strokes, and questions the transparency of pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies. He reflects on the cultural and media dynamics that shaped public perception, including the initial trust in institutions and the subsequent erosion of confidence due to inconsistent messaging and politicization. Throughout the episode, Berenson offers candid insights into the challenges of independent journalism during the pandemic, the pressures faced by reporters, and the broader implications for public trust in science and media. His critique extends to the handling of treatments like ivermectin and the difficulties in advancing alternative COVID therapies, underscoring a complex landscape where science, politics, and information collide.

About Alex Berenson

Alex Berenson is an acclaimed journalist and author known for his thought-provoking insights and unfiltered commentary on contemporary issues. With a portfolio that includes 13 novels and three non-fiction books, Berenson has garnered attention for his latest work, *Pandemia: How Coronavirus Hysteria Took Over Our Government, Rights, and Lives*. As the creator of the popular Unreported Truth Substack, he explores themes often overlooked by mainstream media. Berenson made headlines for his legal battle against the Biden Administration and Pfizer, becoming the only individual reinstated by Twitter after successfully suing the platform for his ban. His fearless approach to challenging prevailing narratives makes him a compelling figure in today's media landscape, captivating audiences with his blend of storytelling and investigative journalism.

Key Moments

– Social Media Censorship
– Section 230
– COVID-19 Vaccines
– Vaccine Efficacy
– Vaccine Safety
– Government Influence
– Misinformation
– Long COVID
– Ivermectin
– Myocarditis
– Public Health Policy
– Media Bias
– Free Speech
– Data Transparency
– Vaccine Mandates
– Immune Imprinting
– Pharmaceutical Industry
– COVID-19 Variants
– Mental Health
– Journalism Integrity
0:01:33 – Alex Berenson banned from Twitter after fifth strike
0:04:34 – Legal background on content moderation and protections
0:07:05 – Internal Twitter emails reveal pressure to ban Berenson
0:14:06 – Publishing documents showing White House involvement in bans
0:15:12 – Joe Biden's stance on vaccine debate and censorship
0:17:19 – Discussion on vaccine effectiveness in spring 2021
0:19:32 – Vaccine mandates for American adults discussed
0:22:40 – End of debate on vaccines stopping infection or transmission
0:25:19 – Analysis of COVID death counts and excess mortality
0:30:40 – Media misinformation on Russia and Trump collusion debunked
0:34:34 – Failures in clinical trials for older populations
0:38:46 – Cultural impact of Donald Trump on media and politics
0:42:00 – Discussion on shutdown effectiveness and Cuomo's role
0:47:47 – Pharmaceutical companies' history and public trust issues
0:51:10 – Public health authorities' challenges with vaccine inquiries
0:53:28 – Long COVID symptoms and public perception
0:56:14 – Vaccine side effects: strokes, myocarditis, and all-cause deaths
1:00:30 – Distrust in the system and truth erosion
1:04:44 – Debate on vaccine lives saved versus harms caused
1:07:13 – Monkeypox compared to COVID response
1:10:50 – Strategies to keep healthy people home during pandemic
1:20:17 – Reports of strokes following vaccination
1:23:45 – FDA document disclosures on vaccine adverse events
1:29:57 – Logical discussion on vaccine risks and benefits
1:31:46 – Vaccination rates and hesitancy among children
1:34:47 – Criticism of exaggerated vaccine impact claims
1:37:58 – Immune imprinting and Omicron vaccine evasion theory
1:41:19 – Free speech limits of private companies like Twitter
1:44:00 – Definition and labeling of misinformation on social media
1:47:47 – Unexplained increase in all-cause deaths post-vaccination
1:53:28 – Long COVID symptoms and controversies
2:04:34 – Ivermectin trials and scientific skepticism
2:11:33 – Booster vaccine uptake and public reluctance
2:18:20 – Growth of independent audience during censorship
2:38:01 – Role of Substack and independent journalism
2:42:17 – Critique of COVID messaging as a 'great lie'
2:55:01 – Praise for journalistic integrity in difficult times

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 the Joe Rogan experience Starting point is 00:00:39 There's more? Starting point is 00:00:53 All right. Starting point is 00:01:33 So they banned me. They said that was my fifth strike and that I was not allowed to tweet Starting point is 00:02:27 from 1998, I want to say, maybe 96, that basically was intended for two purposes. Purpose one was Starting point is 00:03:12 total sense, by the way. All right. You can't, you know, you can't have these people policing Starting point is 00:04:34 managed to get bigger protection. And this really, this was happening for a while. And then it really happened in 2015. There was this case where a group of Sikhs, you know, an Indian minority group, Starting point is 00:05:21 if Alex Berenson says, you know, here's naked pictures of my ex-girlfriend, that also allows you to ban whoever you want, whenever you want. Starting point is 00:06:08 And so, by the way, I know I'm not even talking about my case yet, but this is the legal background. Starting point is 00:06:56 That's how they've gotten. Starting point is 00:07:05 I had emails from a guy inside Twitter named Brandon Borman, who is a pretty senior executive. Starting point is 00:07:56 And there's a broader point that's important to everybody. When they say we have a COVID Starting point is 00:09:02 not a Trump appointee. He's not a George Bush appointee. He Starting point is 00:09:50 if the argument is, I'm Twitter or I'm Facebook, I'm all powerful, I operate under 230, Starting point is 00:10:43 constitutional law. Because again, Twitter's based in California and the California Constitution is even more protective of free speech than the U.S. Constitution. Starting point is 00:11:50 And he did something else, Joe. Starting point is 00:12:25 him or whatever it is. And we're going to hand that over to his lawyers so he can help sue us. Starting point is 00:13:06 look, the judge gave me this stuff. I'm not backing off. I want those depositions. I want ...

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Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #1864?

Alex Berenson was the guest on JRE #1864. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #1864?

On Joe Rogan Experience #1864 with Alex Berenson, topics include Social Media Censorship, Section 230, COVID-19 Vaccines, and Vaccine Efficacy.

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The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #1864 with Alex Berenson is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.