Howard Stern embraces the ‘woke’ label: ‘I think that’s a compliment’

Howard Stern is embracing the label of being "woke," stating that he aspires to be aware and conscious.

In response to a YouTube personality using the term to describe him, the SiriusXM host shared on his own show Monday that he considers it a compliment: “I kind of take that as a compliment, that I’m ‘woke.’”

“To me, the opposite of woke is being asleep,” Stern, 69, said. “And if woke means I can’t get behind [former President Trump], which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender, or I’m for the vaccine — dude, call me woke as you f‑‑‑ing want,” Stern exclaimed.

“I’m not for stupidity,” he continued, sharing that he recently revealed the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

“F‑‑‑in’ science. This f‑‑‑ing country is so great,” he said.

“I am woke, motherf‑‑‑er. And I love it.”

“I want to read legitimate news sources. Here’s how woke I am: I believe the election was not rigged,” Stern said of Trump’s unfounded claims of mass electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential race.

“I’m woke. I think that’s a compliment,” Stern continued, noting that he had frequently hosted Donald Trump as a guest on his radio show before Trump entered politics as a New York real estate developer.

While Stern had previously referred to Trump as a friend, his stance evolved during Trump's presidency. Stern became progressively critical of the 45th commander-in-chief, particularly for his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“These guys who I see on the internet who say they’re not woke, but they seem to be really angry, super against gay people — especially transgender,” Stern said.

“Am I for kids being able to read about anything in school? Yeah, I am. I don’t give a s‑‑‑ what kids read,” he said of book bans in Republican-led states.

“Give me vaccines, man. I’m all for it,” the Howard Stern Comes Again author said.

“I like being woke, if that’s what woke means,” he reiterated.

“So I guess somewhere the rap is I used to be good, but now I’m woke,” Stern added, before concluding, “I think I always was awake.”