Former President Donald Trump is slated for one of his biggest audiences during the 2024 presidential campaign season: The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
The Trump campaign confirmed to The Epoch Times on Oct. 22 that the former president will record a session with Rogan this week. A Trump adviser confirmed Politico’s report that Trump would go to Rogan’s studio in Austin, Texas, on Friday. Rogan later confirmed the interview in a post on X, saying “Here we go!”
It was not immediately clear when Rogan would air the segment, or how long the session with Trump might last.
The announcement follows speculation that began circulating in recent days: Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk had stated that the Trump-Rogan podcast would happen, and Trump also made a statement suggesting that he would be a guest on the show.
Rogan, a former comedian, reaches an enormous audience on his long-form interview podcast. On Spotify alone, the podcast reportedly draws upwards of 14 million listeners, Bloomberg News has reported. Rogan’s Instagram account boasts 19.3 million followers.
Trump and Rogan have been at odds at times. In 2022, for example, Trump said Rogan shouldn’t apologize to left-wing “maniacs and lunatics” about the content of his show. At the time, Rogan was facing controversy over segments focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news of Trump’s appearance with Rogan follows reports last week that Trump’s Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, Vice President Kamala Harris, was also considering appearing on Rogan’s show.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and Harris are both angling for various segments of voters, including young males; Rogan often features content that appeals largely to that demographic.
Campaign Tactics
The Trump-Rogan interview is the latest example of changing campaign tactics for both presidential candidates.
Rather than relying on legacy media or mainstream media outlets such as major TV stations and newspapers, U.S. presidential candidates have increasingly shifted toward alternative media such as podcasts. The candidates made choices based on their goals for appealing to different segments of the electorate.
After eschewing interviews for weeks, Harris has recently participated in various interviews, including the “Call Her Daddy” show, which focuses on humor, sexuality, and relationships. That show draws mostly young females, and is also highly ranked on Spotify.
Trump, in an effort to appeal to young males, has appeared on podcasts such as “Full Send” earlier this month.
And this summer, he spoke with 23-year-old Adin Ross via the Kick platform, marking the first time that Trump had appeared via a livestream video. That appearance drew 500,000 views.
At the time, the former president said such programming represents a “new wave” of communication. The impact of once-popular TV shows seems to be waning, he said.
Recently, a poll from Gallup revealed that Americans’ trust of major media outlets has plunged to a record low. In the mid-1970s, about 72 percent of people had placed “a great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust in media. But that number has dropped by more than half, to 31 percent now, Gallup said.
From The Epoch Times