Former President Donald Trump will sit down with Joe Rogan to record his podcast in Austin, Texas, on Friday, according to two sources familiar with the planning.
Trump will visit Texas on the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to host a campaign rally in the state in Houston.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” has ranked for years as one of the most popular podcasts in all of media, especially among young people, who were the main targets of the Trump campaign.
For months, Trump has made connecting with male voters a priority, appearing on audience-friendly podcasts, with influencers on social media, or at high-profile sporting events, such as the male-dominated UFC mixed martial arts fights he attended. Trump next to his friend. Dana White. Earlier this month, the former president was scheduled to appear at a town hall hosted by Tony Robbins, a longtime self-help guru with more than 7 million followers on Instagram, before Robbins postponed the event due to an incoming hurricane.
In an election held by narrow margins, the Trump campaign hopes that his growing support among male voters will help narrow the gap. Since 2020, his support among men — including Black and Hispanic men — has risen to a 16-point margin over Harris (56%-40%), according to the latest NBC poll. By contrast, women support Harris by a 14-point margin (55%-41%).
National polls show the race deadlocked.
Trump has given a number of interviews in recent weeks with other media figures popular among men, including Ben Shapiro, Aden Ross and Theo Vaughn. He also appeared on Andrew Schulz’s show “Flagrant” with Akash Singh. On the day Trump held a rally at Coachella, the Nelk Boys rode with the former president on his plane — and captured the visit for their millions of viewers.
Rogan and Trump have a complicated history. Although the “Fear Factor” host supported Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2020 primaries, he also praised Trump’s presidency. In August, Rogan also said he was an “admirer” of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then an independent presidential candidate, though he quickly clarified that he did not support him.
Joe Rogan at a UFC event in Phoenix, on May 7, 2022. Christian Petersen file/Getty Images
Of Kennedy Jr., Rogan said on the ” He added: “I am not the person from whom he gets political information.”
During his interview with Nelk Boys, Trump described Rogan as a “good man” and hinted that he would appear on the podcast soon.
The “Joe Rogan Experience” has received criticism over the years amid accusations that Rogan spread COVID misinformation, used racial slurs and made anti-Semitic comments.
Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify in 2020. In February, Rogan and Spotify signed a multi-year deal that will allow the podcast host to bring “The Joe Rogan Experience” to other audio platforms. According to Spotify, it is currently the popular podcast on the platform.
Garrett Hack
Catherine Doyle
Daisia Tolentino and Emma Barnett contributed.
