Joe Rogan, academic qualifications = nil. Standup comedian.
Phil Plait academic qualifications = PhD in astronomy. Part of Hubble Space Telescope team, produced images and spectra of astronomical objects, advisor for NASA missions. Works also included in Encyclopaedia Britannica's Yearbook of Science and The Future.
—End of story.
Argument from authority. End of story.
You literally have no idea how to debate do you?
You should be aware that in order to
competently debate anything of a complex scientific nature, one
must be qualified to do so. Joe Rogan is a stand-up comic, with absolutely zero scientific qualifications (which he happily admits to humself). On the other hand, Phil Plait is a world-renowned astrophysicist.
So in this particular debate (moderated by a magician!) Rogan is totally, academically unequipped to debate with Plait, and Plait showed a lot of good-humoured tolerance even agreeing to debate science with Rogan. Personally, I wouldn't have wasted my time. And, true to form, Rogan simply regurgitated the same old, same old, misinformation about the space missions that's been published on a thousand conspiracy sites over the years.
It was funny to see Rogan stumble on his very first claim—about the Van Allen radiation belts LOL. He couldn't even get the name of their discoverer correct, (James), which certainly proved his own admission that he knew nothing about space science.
So in this specific debate, there is no "claim to authority" being made—or suggested by me. Plait's extensive scientific qualifications form the very basis for his domination of this all-too-brief, one-sided encounter with the ill-informed Rogan. The only saving grace for Rogan (during this debate) is that he doesn't take himself too seriously, and a lot of what he says is purely tongue in cheek.
I do note though that you agree (with me) that "He did crush Rogan on the science though". And surely science
per se formed the entire foundation of the debate?
So... to answer your original question: Rogan made no new and/or compelling arguments to support his claims.