Here Are The Biggest Moments From Trump’s ‘Bro’ Podcast Tour Ahead Of Joe Rogan Appearance

Topline

Former President Donald Trump has been on a blitz of podcasts and online shows popular with male audiences as Election Day nears, with more on the way, producing a stream of viral moments lauded by Trump’s fans and denigrated by Vice President Kamala Harris’ team—and drawing millions of views in the process.

Key Facts

In his latest podcast interview, Trump chatted about sports and the wrestling industry on "Six Feet Under," a podcast from wrestler Mark Calaway, or “The Undertaker”—at one point, Trump calls out a man who allegedly planned to assassinate him on the golf course for “not, at least, letting him putt it out,” and says wrestler Dwayne Johnson told Trump his response to the first assassination attempt showed “bravery.”

Comedian Andrew Schulz and his co-hosts interviewed Trump on the “Flagrant” podcast earlier this month, generating viral clips as Schulz laughed loudly at Trump earnestly saying he’s “basically a truthful person,” Trump explained his meandering speaking style as “the weave” and Schulz said there’s a bipartisan agreement about Trump’s sense of humor.

On Barstool Sports’ podcast “Bussin with the Boys,” a sports show hosted by former NFL football players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Trump said earlier this month he didn’t like playing football against “some guy who was lifting weights all day and came from a bad neighborhood."

Host and comedian Theo Von relies more on comedy than political commentary on his show, but his August interview with Trump led to a viral clip where Trump asks Von if he still does cocaine and if the drug creates strong feelings, and Von responds that “cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie.”

Adin Ross — a streamer who uses Kick.com after being banned from popular site Twitch for offensive comments — live-streamed with Trump in August, where he gifted Trump an estimated $70,000 MAGA-decorated Tesla Cybertruck and a Rolex watch (a potential violation of campaign finance rules if Trump kept the gifts, The New York Times reports).

Lex Fridman — an MIT-affiliated computer scientist who often interviews controversial figures like Kanye West or Elon Musk — opened his hour-long September interview by pushing back on Trump’s calling Harris a communist, yet the episode shortly continued on with discussions about Jeffrey Epstein, UFOs, the “dirty game” of politics and religion.

In their latest Trump interview, the “Nelk Boys,” YouTubers known for videos about pranks and parties who first hosted Trump for viral 2022 and 2023 interviews, brought up Trump appearing on Joe Rogan’s highly-popular podcast and in response, Trump said he was considering going.

Here Are All The Podcasts And Streams Trump Has Appeared On

-“Impaulsive” with Logan Paul (June 13) — 6.6 million views on YouTube as of Oct. 22, not including other platforms

-“All In Podcast” (June 20) — 3.3 million views

-Adin Ross’s live stream (posted to YouTube Aug. 5) — 2.6 million views

-“This Past Weekend with Theo Von” (Aug. 20) — 14 million views

-“Shawn Ryan Show” (Aug. 26) - 3.5 million views

-“Lex Fridman Podcast” (Sept. 3) — 5.1 million views

-“Flagrant” (Oct. 9) — 5.7 million views

-“Full Send Podcast” (Oct. 14) — 3.2 million views

-“Bussin’ With The Boys” (Oct. 15) — 386,000 views

-“PBD Podcast” (Oct. 17) — 2.7 million views

-“The Dan Bongino Show” (Oct. 18) - 2.8 million views on Rumble

-“Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway” (Oct. 21) - 353,000 views

Will Trump Appear On Joe Rogan?

Trump confirmed on Oct. 22 that he will record an episode with Joe Rogan. Harris has discussed appearing on the “Joe Rogan Experience,” according to Reuters. Rogan’s show—known for its long and often meandering interviews—regularly ranks as the most listened-to podcast in the U.S. The host said in 2022 that he would refuse to have Trump on his podcast because an interview might help Trump by “revitalizing and rehabilitating” his public image in a “shocking way.” Rogan also admitted in 2020 that he refused to vote for both President Joe Biden and Trump, and Rogan has been critical of Trump and Harris. However, he predicts Harris will win in November, and he has criticized the internet’s relationship with Trump, saying it suppresses positive stories.

Which Podcast Will Host Trump Next?

Each week has brought a slew of new episodes and quotes from Trump, including an episode with the “PBD podcast,” where Trump continued to mock Harris’ race, a now-routine ploy from the Republican. The podcasts also reveal Trump’s relationship with fighting and boxing: many of the podcast hosts interviewing Trump are friendly with UFC’s CEO Dana White (including Trump himself), Hulk Hogan spoke at the Republican National Convention in July and Trump famously shaved WWE Founder Vince McMahon’s head in an WrestleMania event in 2007. Trump also said his son Barron has contributed to finding who the “hot” celebrities are, pointing to the hosts of “Bussin with the Boys” during his interview with the former NFL players. Another potential guide in Trump’s decisions, as Vanity Fair reported, is 18-year-old Bo Loudon, a patron of Trump’s famous Florida club Mar-a-Lago and self-described “pro-Trump influencer,” who is attributed with helping Trump navigate the extent of internet celebrities. Vanity Fair reports that Trump’s interview with Adin Ross was Loudon’s “brainchild.”

Key Background

Podcast appearances have become a key part of both Trump and Harris’ media strategy in the election’s closing weeks, even as Trump eschews interviews with CNBC and CBS’ “60 Minutes.” These podcasts can reach millions, and may reach a more specific audience—often centering on younger male fans who may be less likely to vote—compared to the mainstream appeal of traditional media outlets. “Engaging with podcasters, comedians and influencers allows people to see that human side of President Trump that the mainstream media deliberately won’t cover,” Alex Bruesewitz, a campaign advisor on Trump’s team, told Forbes over email. Many of Trump’s podcast interviews also allow him to share his talking points regarding the border, tariffs or the state of the U.S.—and tell personal anecdotes—without journalistic follow-up questions. Harris has also decided to pursue podcasts in her campaign, although on a less frequent basis, by only interviewing with two podcasts that are immensely popular to the voter bases she’s hoping to reach. Harris appeared with host Alex Cooper on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Spotify’s second-largest podcast, on Oct. 6, and she went on the "All the Smoke” podcast, a popular sports podcast hosted by former NBA stars, on Sept. 30.

How Are People Responding To These Interviews?

While it’s unclear how Trump and Harris’ podcast blitz will impact the campaign, the podcasts have generated significant traffic online. But Trump’s campaign is hoping to target a demographic of younger male voters, identifying the segment as “critical” to Trump’s chances because of the strong support Harris is expected to get from young women, according to Politico. Meanwhile, radio host Charlemagne The God — who hosted Harris for a conversation — said on his podcast “Brilliant Idiots” Schulz’s interview helped Trump’s chances of winning. In contrast to the wrestlers supporting Trump, actor and wrestler Dave Bautista acted in an ad on Oct. 17, calling Trump “whiny” and string of comedic insults.

Contra

Harris’ campaign has posted excerpts from Trump’s podcast interview on its X account, often mocking his comments. After Trump’s “Bussin with the Boys” episode, Harris’ account posted the controversial moment in which Trump explained why he didn’t like football. The account also posted the clip from the “Flagrant” podcast of Schulz laughing at Trump for saying he’s “basically a truthful person.”