Master Interview

The nation's top podcaster, Joe Rogan, drops his three hour interview with Donald Trump. Rogan demonstrates how long-form podcasting is putting the legacy media out of business.

When it was announced this week that Donald Trump would be going on the “Joe Rogan Experience,” America’s most popular podcast with more than 2 million subscribers. Its demographic is heavy with young males, which is not a strong demographic for Trump.

With a very tight race but the polls all trending in Trump’s direction, it was an act of confidence, with inherent risks given Trump’s propensity to say provocative things.

But Rogan is different from your typical interviewer. I don’t usually watch or listen, but I am amazed at how he gets behind the headlines and media narratives to bring out real personalities and insights. It is a strength of this format, known as long-form podcasting.

The former mixed martial arts fighter and stand-up comic has a mixed political pedigree. He endorsed Bernie Saunders in 2020 before announcing he would prefer Trump over Biden in that year’s general election. He typically eschews political interviews and has previously resisted Trump's entreaties to appear on his show.

Rogan accepted Trump’s request this time, while Harris refused an opportunity for equal time. It’s not hard to figure out why. She’s been a disaster in interview and town hall formats, spewing pre-programmed talking points, failing to answer questions, and tossing word salads along the way.

Both Trump and Rogan are at their best. I haven’t seen the whole thing yet, but I highly recommend it if you have time, either as a podcast or to watch on YouTube. It will take a few days for this to settle in, but I suspect it will prove impactful in these election’s final days. The podcast is available on Spotify.