#2495 - Tim Burchett

Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience · May 7, 2026 · 2 h 37 min

Joe Rogan and Rep. Tim Burchett discuss UFO disclosure, congressional stock trading, the Trump assassination attempt, U.S. cash reaching the Taliban, and psychedelic therapy for veterans.

Summary

Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee joined Joe Rogan during a week of anticipated government UFO disclosure. Burchett said he expected to be briefed by a Pentagon official but doubted much would be released, arguing the subject had been covered up since 1947. He recounted a trip to Florida with Anna Paulina Luna and Matt Gaetz to hear pilots describe craft, a private video presentation at his home, the 2023 House UAP hearing, reports of fast underwater objects in deep ocean areas, and his belief that recovered technology was handed to defense contractors beyond FOIA's reach. Rogan discussed Bob Lazar, George Knapp, David Fravor, the documentary The Age of Disclosure, and Hal Puthoff's account of a Bush-era cost-benefit study on disclosure, while voicing skepticism about amnesty proposals for secret programs.

The pair also discussed congressional stock trading, which Burchett called legal but wrong, describing his bill with Luna to restrict members to mutual funds and his frustration that ethics rules bar him from selling handmade skateboards. They examined the 2024 Butler assassination attempt, with Rogan rejecting claims it was staged, the judge's apology to the accused White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter, MKUltra and Tom O'Neill's book Chaos, and the Kennedy assassination.

Burchett described his legislation requiring reporting on U.S. cash assistance he said reaches the Taliban through UN shipments and NGOs, and criticized NGOs and the United Nations generally. He shared stories about his World War II veteran parents, and both men praised Trump's executive action on psychedelics such as ibogaine for veterans, with Rogan crediting Rick Perry and Bryan Hubbard. The episode closed with discussion of alleged underwater bases, disinformation risks, Matt Gaetz's hybrid-program claim, and the Jimmy Carter and Jackie Gleason UFO stories.

Chapters

0:16
Anticipated UFO disclosure
Burchett says he will be briefed by a Pentagon official but expects heavy redaction and a continued cover-up.
1:17
How Burchett got involved
Burchett recounts his childhood interest, a TMZ interview, private briefings, and treatment of pilots who report sightings.
9:25
Florida pilot briefing and warnings
Burchett describes forcing a briefing with pilots alongside Gaetz and Luna, a warning from a colleague, and theories about missing scientists.
20:51
Compartmentalization, contractors and Bob Lazar
The two discuss contractor custody of technology, Area 51, George Knapp and Lazar's story.
28:47
Congressional hearings and compromised members
Burchett describes the UAP hearing, disruptive officials, honeypots and blackmail in Congress.
44:46
Congressional stock trading
Burchett criticizes members' trading, citing Pelosi and defense stocks after aid to Ukraine, and promotes his mutual-fund bill.
53:01
Age of Disclosure, amnesty and firsthand sightings
Rogan questions amnesty proposals while Burchett relays veterans' saucer sightings and converted skeptics.
1:08:31
Assassination attempts and MKUltra
Discussion of the correspondents' dinner shooter, Butler shooting, Thomas Crooks, MKUltra, and the Kennedy assassination.
1:25:39
COVID, Fauci, ticks and gas prices
The pair criticize pandemic policy and Fauci, discuss alpha-gal syndrome, and Burchett calls fuel pricing a racket.
1:33:37
Skateboards and ethics rules
Burchett describes making skateboards by hand and being barred by ethics rules from selling them.
1:39:16
U.S. money reaching the Taliban
Burchett explains his bill targeting cash shipments and NGO funding that he says benefits the Taliban.
1:51:58
Parents, veterans and psychedelics
Burchett shares stories of his WWII veteran parents and both praise Trump's push on psychedelic therapy.
2:06:42
Underwater bases, disinformation and closing stories
They discuss deep-ocean sightings, Gaetz's hybrid claim, end-times preachers, Puthoff's account and the Carter and Gleason stories.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Linked moment · 0:16Skip to 0:16 using a listen link in the info box.
Tim Burchett
Burchett doubts the government will make meaningful UFO disclosure, arguing the subject has been covered up since at least 1947.
“this thing's been covered up at least since 1947. And I just don't think they're going to – they don't give up that easy”
Listen from 0:59 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett says military pilots who report sightings are pulled from flying, given psych evaluations and interrogation-like debriefings.
“you immediately pulled off the flight line. I'm not a pilot or military person, but flight line. is what I call it. They're not able to fly and they're given a psych evaluation”
Listen from 7:35 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett says he was told of underwater craft moving over 200 mph and as large as a football field, far beyond U.S. capabilities.
“we've seen craft underwater that do something over 200 miles an hour that are on the sonar pickup or as big as a dadgum football field”
Listen from 12:55 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett suggests disappearances of scientists around the time of disclosure efforts serve as warnings to others, likening it to roughing up busboys.
“you rough up a few of the busboys, and that sends a quick dadgum message that you need to shut your mouth”
Listen from 18:38 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett believes recovered UFO material was given to major defense contractors that are beyond the reach of FOIA.
“I think that whatever they had, they gave to them early on, and they're the ones. But they're so far disconnected from the government that I can't touch it”
Listen from 20:51 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett says he cashed out his portfolio into a mutual fund and backs legislation barring members from owning individual stocks.
“I don't own any individual stocks, but I think that members of Congress ought to do that. That was my bill”
Listen from 45:36 · Congressional stock trading
Tim Burchett
Burchett says members of Congress held stock in missile defense makers that benefited when Ukraine aid required replenishing U.S. systems.
“Now, who do you think owns stock in those missile defense systems? Members of Congress”
Listen from 48:33 · Congressional stock trading
Tim Burchett
Burchett predicts stock-trading reform will stall in the Senate while members claim credit for trying.
“We'll pass some bill and the Senate will pass another bill or phone just won't take it up, which is we're seeing a lot of now”
Listen from 52:20 · Congressional stock trading
Joe Rogan
Rogan is skeptical that calls for amnesty around UFO programs may be a way to shield people from prosecution for misappropriation of funds or fraud.
“You are talking about UFOs so you can get some sort of amnesty for misappropriation of funds and that might just be straight up fraud”
Listen from 53:01 · The Age of Disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett believes the accused correspondents' dinner shooter had been programmed, in the manner of MKUltra.
“The guy's been programmed to do this. He immediately turns from one way to the other overnight almost”
Listen from 1:10:59 · Project MKUltra
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues the Butler shooting could not have been staged because no one could reliably nick an ear at that distance.
“there is not a person on earth that could nick your ear at 140 yards reliably”
Listen from 1:13:24 · Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues it is implausible that the government abandoned successful mind-control techniques after MKUltra.
“the idea that they go, hey, we shouldn't do that anymore. Even though it was successful, that doesn't track”
Listen from 1:19:14 · Project MKUltra
Tim Burchett
Burchett calls fuel pricing a racket, questioning how already-refined gasoline rises overnight while the U.S. imports no Iranian oil.
“we get zero oil from iran zero we we export oil right now and yet the price is going through the roof”
Listen from 1:30:56 · Gas prices and inflation
Tim Burchett
Burchett says a source told him the Taliban receives about $40 million a week, largely via cash and NGOs.
“he comes into the office and he has to, he can't use his real name and, uh, and says, look, they're getting $40 million a week”
Listen from 1:41:04 · U.S. aid to Afghanistan under Taliban rule
Tim Burchett
Burchett says his bill would require reporting on cash assistance in Afghanistan and cut off funding reaching the Taliban.
“this bill makes them report it and follow the money so we know where it's going. And if it's going to the Taliban, it's out”
Listen from 1:45:53 · U.S. aid to Afghanistan under Taliban rule
Tim Burchett
Burchett says he would withdraw the United States from the UN.
“If it was up to me, I'd pull out of the dadgum U.N. They are nothing. All they do is get Americans killed”
Listen from 1:46:50 · Government fraud and waste
Joe Rogan
Rogan relays Rick Perry's account that ibogaine reduced his measured brain atrophy.
“He went and got an examination after he did it, and his brain atrophy had dropped by 25%. He went back in six months later. It was all gone”
Listen from 2:05:41 · Ibogaine
Tim Burchett
Burchett frames the issue as a budget question about what the government is spending tens of millions on.
“It's not about Little Green Man. It's not about flying saucers. It's what are we spending this money on if they say they don't exist?”
Listen from 2:21:13 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett says a federal employee told him the president is on a need-to-know basis regarding UFO information.
“he said, the president's on a need-to-know basis. Now, that's a federal employee saying that he or she has— information that the president is not allowed to see”
Listen from 2:23:41 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure
Tim Burchett
Burchett rejects the rationale that disclosure would harm society, saying the public should decide.
“I don't doubt what he's saying. I know all those guys”
Listen from 2:25:44 · Unidentified flying objects and government disclosure

People

In the conversation

Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
Tim BurchettU.S. Representative who commented on classified UFO briefings

Discussed

Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Matt GaetzFormer Florida congressman who claimed the U.S. runs alien-human breeding programs
Anna Paulina LunaU.S. Representative who signed the letter requesting release of UAP videos
Bob LazarAmerican scientist and businessman who claims to have worked on recovered extraterrestrial craft at a site called S4 near Area 51
George KnappLas Vegas investigative journalist who first broadcast Lazar's account in 1989
David FravorRetired U.S. Navy commander associated with the Tic Tac UFO encounter
Eric BurlisonMissouri congressman and UAP disclosure advocate
Nancy PelosiUS congresswoman whose husband was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home
Thomas CrooksGunman in the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt
Anthony FauciFormer U.S. public health official criticized by Rogan
Hal PuthoffPhysicist featured in The Age of Disclosure
Rick PerryFormer Texas governor involved in the Texas ibogaine initiative
Eli CraneArizona congressman and former Navy SEAL
Sean RyanFormer Navy SEAL and podcast host who has described a negative psychedelic experience
Jimmy CarterFormer U.S. president said to have been briefed on UFOs
Jackie GleasonComedian rumored to have been shown a UFO by Richard Nixon
Tom O'NeillAuthor of Chaos, about the Manson family and MKUltra

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From the publisher

Tim Burchett represents Tennessee’s 2nd District and is a member of the Republican Party. Rep. Burchett is a member of the UAP Caucus, chairman of the DOGE Subcommittee, and serves on the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Foreign Affairs, and Transportation and Infrastructure.www.uapcaucus.comwww.youtube.com/@congressmantimburchett2448https://burchett.house.gov Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Don’t miss out on all the action this week at DraftKings! Download the DraftKings app today! Sign-up using https://dkng.co/rogan or through my promo code ROGAN. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit https://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit https://www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/PR/WY). Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new DraftKings customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $100 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 5/31/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·Government·Society & Culture