Undercover with the Devil: What Joe Rogan’s Interview with Scott Payne Reveals About Evil, Faith, and the Fragility of Identity
A Look Into the Shadows With a Man Who Stared at the Abyss—and Came Back With a Warning
There’s a particular kind of courage that we like to celebrate—military valor, speaking truth to power, surviving life’s worst seasons. But there’s another kind of courage that gets little glory and even less attention: the courage of becoming someone else entirely, knowing full well you may never make it back.
That’s the story retired FBI Special Agent Scott Payne shares in Joe Rogan Experience #2295, and it’s the essence of his new memoir, Code Name: Pale Horse—a raw, unfiltered look into America’s most dangerous domestic threats, and the toll it takes on the man sent to dismantle them from the inside.
JRE 2295
Payne’s story is more than a collection of sting operations and undercover busts. It’s about evil. About faith. And about what it means to come back from the edge with your soul intact.
Becoming the Monster to Defeat the Monster
Scott Payne didn’t just observe hate from a distance—he lived among it. For 28 years, he infiltrated the darkest corners of America: biker gangs like the Outlaws, extremist hate groups like The Base, and other entities most of us would struggle to acknowledge exist in our own country.
In one of the podcast’s most chilling segments, Payne talks about infiltrating the Outlaws Motorcycle Club—a dangerous gang entrenched in violence, drug trafficking, and organized crime. To gain their trust, he had to become one of them. It wasn’t just about the leather jackets or the bikes. It was about becoming fluent in their language, their codes, and their crimes.
He rode with them. Ate with them. Even broke the law in ways that blurred the line between the job and reality. One wrong word could’ve meant death—not just for him, but for his family. He described the psychological minefield as “waking up every day needing to remember who I really was before I went out the door.”
Outlaw Story
The Power of a Praying Wife
During a routine interaction with the gang, suspicions arose that Payne might be an informant. The members decided to confront him, leading him to a secluded basement under the pretense of a private conversation. Once there, they accused him of wearing a wire and subjected him to a thorough and invasive search. Payne recounted the terror of that moment, realizing that discovery would almost certainly mean his death.
Unbeknownst to him, at that exact time, miles away, his wife was overcome with an unshakable feeling of dread. Despite having no prior knowledge of the situation unfolding, she felt an urgent need to pray for her husband’s safety. She later described how she pulled over her car and fervently prayed, sensing that he was in imminent danger.
This synchrony between Payne’s perilous ordeal and his wife’s intuitive prayer highlights a profound spiritual connection. Payne believes that her prayers at that critical moment provided him with the strength and protection needed to navigate the life-threatening situation. Reflecting on this experience, he emphasized the importance of faith and the unseen bonds that can offer solace and safety in times of extreme adversity.
Infiltrating America’s Neo-Nazis
In 2019, Payne went undercover into The Base, a neo-Nazi domestic terrorist organization recruiting online and organizing for war. They weren’t just talk. They were training in remote forests, preparing for societal collapse, and plotting real violence.
Under the alias “Scott Anderson,” he posed as a former South Carolina skinhead and biker. The deception led him into the backwoods of Georgia, where he witnessed members perform a ritual goat sacrifice as part of an initiation.
Let that sink in: a federal agent, alone, surrounded by real extremists in the middle of nowhere—no backup, no badge, just his wits, his courage, and his cover story.
In Rogan’s words, “That’s straight-up movie stuff.”
Payne admitted the gravity of it all was more than theatrical—it was spiritual warfare. “You feel the evil in your bones,” he said. “These weren’t just misguided people. They were committed to hate.”
Payne talks about having to earn the trust of a neo-Nazi. That trust wasn’t gained through casual conversation. It required immersion—blending in, understanding ideology, and, perhaps most disturbingly, letting them see you as one of them.
It raises a deeper question: How far can you go into the darkness without it taking something from you?
“Every day I woke up, I had to remember who I really was.” — Scott Payne, JRE #2295
But somehow, despite the danger, he stayed in long enough to gather evidence that helped dismantle parts of the organization and prevent future attacks.
The True Cost of Playing God
Payne’s operations weren’t just physically dangerous. They were morally corrosive. Pretending to be a hateful, violent criminal for months or years at a time—pretending so well that the people around you believe you are one—takes a toll most people can’t imagine.
In the podcast, Payne described how these personas almost became real. “There were moments I didn’t know if I could come back. The line between who I was pretending to be and who I was started to blur.”
The risks were external and internal. You can put on a vest, a patch, or a mask—but how do you take it off when the mission ends?
Austin Snow
Most of us will never embed ourselves into a biker gang or sit at a dinner table with a domestic terrorist. But Payne’s story isn’t just about espionage. It’s about moral compromise, identity, and spiritual anchoring in a world that constantly tests your values.
In a time where social identity is fluid and morality often bends to convenience, Payne’s life reminds us that standing for something is not optional—it’s survival.
Takeaway Questions:
• What personal or professional environments are you currently navigating that test your values?
• Do you have rituals, beliefs, or practices that anchor you to your true self?
• How much of your identity is rooted in truth versus performance?
One Percenter
Scott Payne’s story isn’t just a movie worthy binge listen. It’s a cautionary tale. Evil doesn’t always announce itself with a scream—it shows up with a handshake and a smile. And sometimes, to confront it, you have to walk into its house, sit at its table, and remember who you are when you leave.
And if you forget?
That’s how men are lost.
That's all I have for you today. I love you all. Thank you for being here and for supporting me the way you do. It means the world to me. Please share this with someone who you think could benefit from our community.
To The Week Ahead 🍻
With all my heart,
Your Friend, Austin ❤✌
You might be reading this but if you're not subscribed you could be missing out on exclusive content and other articles just like these. So please Leave a thumbs up, subscribe and i'll catch you on the next one! ✌🏻
Check Out All The Gear I Use For My Daily Journaling And WorkFlow
My Everyday Leather notebook Folio 📔
My Current Favorite Personal Journal 📚
The Every Day Carry Brass Pen 🖊️
How I listen to all my podcasts and books🎧
How I write all of the content I deliver to you beautiful people. 💻
Where I get all of my Audio Books 📚
Until Our Next Rendezvous
With all my heart,
Your Friend, Austin ❤✌
P.S. Many of you asked how you can help support this journaling movement, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a thumbs up 👍 leave a comment 💬 and share this post with your friends and family who might also find this topic interesting. Also Follow me on X formerly twitter @AmelioratingMan As this continues to grow I plan to add some kind of referral program to reward your support and I am also currently working behind the scenes on some exciting projects and giveaways for you all so stay tuned for that. Thank you all so much! Happy journaling! ♥
p. ps: I recently partnered with Amazon's affiliate program so any link provided on this post or any other place on my site that you may click on and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. I personally select what products are featured on here and I will never recommend anything I don't already use myself. Thank you all for the continued love and support.
