Trump gets Joe Rogan interview in further outreach to male voters

• Trump will reportedly appear on Joe Rogan's podcast for the first time ever.
• Trump recently appeared on several podcasts aimed at young men.
• While young men tend to favor Trump, their voter turnout is also relatively low.

For a presidential candidate, the chance to get his message directly into the ears of millions of potential voters is markedly different from most campaign messaging, which often comes in the form of impersonal mass texts or emails.

But that's exactly what former President Donald Trump just secured with a scheduled appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast – his first in the podcast's 15-year run.

With more than 14 million followers on Spotify, The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. The episodes, which usually feature longer conversations between Rogan and a guest, regularly last more than two and a half to three hours.

Politico first reported on Tuesday that Trump would appear on the show, citing a person familiar with the matter. The outlet reported that the episode was scheduled to be recorded on Friday at Rogan's studio in Austin, Texas. Several other media outlets confirmed the panned appearance.

Representatives for Trump and Rogan did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

Rogan has not endorsed any candidate in the 2024 election. After Rogan made positive comments about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while he was still in the race, Trump wrote on Truth Social in August that Rogan would be “booed the next time he steps into the UFC ring.”

In 2022, Rogan said he was “in no way, shape or form” a Trump supporter. He also said he turned down opportunities to have Trump on his show. “I don’t want to help him. I have no interest in helping him,” Rogan said at the time.

In an episode of his show in September, Rogan said that Trump was not a “dictator” as president, contrary to critics' fears. During Trump's presidency, he also said, “The economy has done really well and he's really tried to curb the crap that's going on in this country.” However, regarding Trump's personality, he added, “We don't want that definitely as the guy who has his finger on the button.”

The Rogan interview would be Trump's latest appearance on a podcast aimed primarily at a specific group of potential voters who generally like him but don't necessarily vote: young men. In recent months, Trump has also spoken with popular podcasters Lex Fridman, Theo Von and Shawn Ryan.

Although young voters generally seem to prefer Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump does better among young men. New York Times/Siena polls conducted in six swing states in August found that young men ages 18 to 29 supported Trump by 13 points. In contrast, the polls showed that young women supported Harris by 38 points.

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However, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, young people often have relatively low voter turnout, with an estimated 50% of potential voters ages 18 to 29 actually voting in 2020. Men are now less likely to vote than women across all age groups.

Alison Dagnes, a political scientist and political media professor at Shippensburg University, said the lower voter turnout explains why Trump is recording all these male-centered podcasts: mobilization.

“He's 'getting the votes out,'” Dagnes said, adding that she believes Trump sees young men as his bread and butter. “He’s not trying to get one more person to like him. He’s trying to get the people who like him to come out and that’s why he’s going after Joe Rogan.”

In contrast, Dagnes said, Harris' recent media strategy appears to be more focused on persuasion or winning over voters who may not be persuaded by her. She pointed to the broader range of channels Harris has appeared on, including “The View,” Alex Cooper's “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Howard Stern and Fox News.

Harris was reportedly in talks to appear on Rogan's podcast, but nothing has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Call Her Daddy's Cooper said she also invited Trump to appear on her show, which is largely aimed at young women.

Dagnes said both candidates' media strategies this election cycle show how much the media landscape has changed, and she expects podcasts will continue to play a role in elections going forward.