This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge. 

With Dr. Fauci having exited stage left, the MSM’s (mainstream media) has anointed a new vax-peddling talking head – Dr. Peter Hotez.

Last week, podcast giant Joe Rogan had Hotez on his show, where he proceeded to badmouth anti-vax presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. – before telling Rogan that he’d be ‘uncomfortable’ debating him.

Joe Rogan First Challenged Peter Hotez to Debate RFK Jr on the Science of Vaccines in 2019, But He Declined…

"He's an attorney and he's very clever and he knows how to do arguments in court. And what am I? I'm a scientist." pic.twitter.com/oJuXudzsux

— Kathie (@TheCrimsonWorm) June 18, 2023

Rogan also called him out for being a hypocrite;

.@JoeRogan grills Dr. Peter Hotez for exclusively promoting vaccines while disregarding exercise, vitamins, and a healthy diet:

"There's a large body of data that connects poor diet to a host of diseases… You don't think vitamins are needed while you eat junk food?" pic.twitter.com/5RNmAEReTf

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) June 18, 2023

In response, Rogan offered to donate $100,000 to charity if he would debate RFK Jr. – who basically called Hotez a little bitch:

Peter. Let’s finally have the respectful,congenial,informative debate that the American people deserve.

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 17, 2023

“For 18 years nobody will debate me”

Joe Rogan and RFK Jr discuss why Peter Hotez and Joe Biden refuse to debate RFK Jr.

On Twitter today, Joe Rogan offered Peter Hotez $100,000 to a charity of his choice to debate and he still refuses. pic.twitter.com/hHVWebA9MU

— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) June 18, 2023

For those who missed it, Matt Orfalea and Matt Taibbi spotlighted Hotez last week, calling him the “great double-talking vaccine scientist,” for generally being full of shit.

Watch:

As the Epoch Times notes;

Over the weekend, Hotez, a frequent guest on CNN and NBC during the COVID-19 pandemic, posted a Vice article that claimed Spotify has “stopped even sort of trying to stem Joe Rogan’s vaccine misinformation” after the episode with Kennedy, 2024 presidential candidate and prominent skeptic of some childhood vaccines. That article essentially served as a hit-piece targeting Rogan, accusing him of fostering “misinformation” by allowing Kennedy on his program.

“It’s really true,” he wrote, adding that the interview is “just awful. And from all the online attacks I’m receiving after this absurd podcast, it’s clear many actually believe this nonsense.” Hotez is a vaccine scientist and a professor of molecular virology at Baylor College, a chair with the Texas Children’s Hospital, and also wrote about his daughter, titled, “Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad.”

Oh really?

Rogan upped the stakes – offering to donate $100,000 to charity if Hotez would debate RFK Jr.

Again, I’m going to ask you very clearly, are you willing to debate @RobertKennedyJr on my podcast? https://t.co/vFkzW9CCBq

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) June 18, 2023

Others joined in – with investor Bill Ackman adding $150,000 to Rogan’s wager.

I will add $150,000 to @joerogan’s wager so now $250,000 can go to charity and the public can hear an open debate on an important topic. https://t.co/dp3XCiqllS

— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) June 18, 2023

Journalist Tim Pool added $100,000 to the pot, bringing the total up to $1.52 million.

I am literally offering $100k into a total pot of $1.52m in a desperate attempt to get the experts to debunk misinformation.

We are begging them to disprove it but they won't even try https://t.co/BIHMlxrJpu

— Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 18, 2023

Meanwhile, Hotez had a total meltdown on Twitter, basically telling Rogan ‘let’s take this offline.’

By the way, @PeterHotez , I saw this tweet that you deleted. pic.twitter.com/eS7ynkGqGO

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) June 17, 2023

Triage…

The Atlantic’s Tom “Leave Joe Biden alone” Nichols, who once tried to get West Point cadets kicked out of college for playing the circle game, thinks a debate would be below Hotez’s station, tweeting “No medical professional should ever agree to do this. Never. It elevates the conspiracy guy, demeans the medical professional, and will only convince the kooks out there that RFK is right because a real doctor took the time to debate him.”

“Never debate a conspiracy theorist,” Nichols added, apparently unaware of the last half-decade of conspiracy theories coming true.

Rogan replies

“That would be a great suggestion if you could assure that the industry you were representing wasn’t completely captured by heartless monsters who have a history of some of the biggest criminal fines in human history because their deception has cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives,” Rogan shot back. “It would be a great suggestion if the industry you were defending didn’t occasionally look at human beings as an opportunity to generate insane wealth regardless of the tragic consequences.    But you can’t do that, so… maybe it would be a good idea to have a fucking debate.”

That would be a great suggestion if you could assure that the industry you were representing wasn’t completely captured by heartless monsters who have a history of some of the biggest criminal fines in human history because their deception has cost hundreds of thousands of people… https://t.co/fVlPdwCWrq

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) June 18, 2023

Why wouldn’t Hotez want to crush RFK Jr. with his towering intellect and ‘science’ on his side?

Hotez prefers the "safe space" of MSNBC. https://t.co/V9we2TG79z

— Paul D. Thacker (@thackerpd) June 18, 2023

“@Timcast and @joerogan fans can’t handle anyone challenging their echo chamber.” That’s why they’re offering $800,000 to @PeterHotez to go on the show and challenge their echo chamber. https://t.co/nP6TUqT3Mn

— Keri Smith 🌱Deprogrammed (@RealKeriSmith) June 18, 2023

We think we know it’ll go, if it ever happens (guest starring Tom Nichols as Master):