Fast forward to late 2024, and the landscape shifted dramatically. Rogan had been discussing mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, even floating theories that the government might be deploying drones to acclimate Americans to UAPs. The man who once dismissed DeLonge's claims was now actively engaging with the very ideas he once found laughable. It seems the universe – or perhaps the non-human intelligence DeLonge spoke of – has a sense of irony.
The transformation didn't happen overnight, mind you. Over time, with new revelations and shifts in public discourse – thanks in part to New York Times articles and leaked military footage – Rogan had to admit that maybe Tom was on to something all along. Those Navy videos showing the "Tic Tac" and "Gimbal" objects weren't the ramblings of a mad musician; they were legitimate military encounters that the Pentagon eventually confirmed as authentic UAPs.
DeLonge himself acknowledged the awkwardness of that first appearance in a 2020 tweet, saying he felt bad he "couldn't be more forthcoming" when he was on, citing his accountabilities with To The Stars Academy and the government. Reading between the lines, it's clear he was walking a tightrope between disclosure and classification – hardly the ideal position for a freewheeling Rogan podcast.
What's particularly striking is how prescient DeLonge's claims have proven to be. His To The Stars Academy, which sounded like a vanity project at the time, actually played a pivotal role in bringing those Navy UAP videos to public attention. The organisation he founded in 2017 focuses on studying unexplained phenomena and advanced technologies, and it's been at the forefront of the disclosure movement.
The real turning point came with the congressional hearings. In July 2023, David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, testified before Congress that the U.S. government has operated a secret "multi-decade" reverse engineering program of recovered vessels and has recovered non-human "biologics" from crash sites. Suddenly, DeLonge's seemingly outlandish claims didn't seem quite so far-fetched.
More recently, in November 2024, another congressional hearing featured testimony about a highly secretive programme called "Immaculate Constellation," with witnesses describing UAPs intercepting and boxing in military aircraft. These aren't conspiracy theorists posting grainy videos on YouTube – these are military personnel and intelligence officials testifying under oath.
Perhaps nothing illustrates Rogan's evolution on this topic better than his recent discussions about the mysterious drone sightings plaguing New Jersey and other states. Since mid-November 2024, thousands of witnesses have reported seeing unmanned aerial vehicles flying at night across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Rogan has suggested the government might be deploying these drones to "get people really accustomed to the news cycle having UAPs in it, and then real ones show up". It's a fascinating theory, and one that shows just how far he's come from his initial scepticism. The man who once rolled his eyes at DeLonge is now essentially proposing his own UAP conspiracy theories.
Which brings us to the obvious question: isn't it time for DeLonge to return to the JRE? The conversation would be entirely different now. Rogan has spent years diving deeper into the UAP rabbit hole, interviewing everyone from Bob Lazar to Commander David Fravor. His more recent UAP-related episodes also featured filmmaker James Fox discussing his new documentary "The Program" in December 2024, showing his continued engagement with the topic.
DeLonge, for his part, has been somewhat vindicated by events. Even his former Blink-182 bandmate Mark Hoppus recently admitted during a concert that "Tom was right about aliens" – quite the turnaround from the days when they mocked his UFO obsession.
"Tom was right about aliens"
- Mark Hoppus
A second conversation between Rogan and DeLonge would be fascinating. No more dismissive glances, no more barely concealed scepticism. Instead, we'd have two people who've been on quite the journey regarding this phenomenon, able to discuss how the conversation has evolved, what's been disclosed, and what might still be hidden in those classified programmes.
Given Rogan's massive platform and influence, having DeLonge back would send a powerful message about being open to revising our opinions when presented with new evidence. It would also, frankly, make for brilliant content. The redemption arc alone would be worth the price of admission.
Tom DeLonge took considerable professional and personal risk to push this conversation forward when it wasn't fashionable. He deserves his flowers – and a proper, respectful second hearing on the world's biggest podcast.
