Harris Campaign Pushes To Get Interview On Joe Rogan's Podcast As Kamala Struggles With Young Men

On Monday, sources close to the Harris-Walz campaign revealed to Reuters that Vice President Kamala Harris is attempting to convince podcaster Joe Rogan to have her on the show as she attempts to gain support among young men, most of whom have been flocking to 45th President Donald Trump in droves. Getting on "The Joe Rogan Experience" would provide Harris with one of her largest audiences and represent the increasing impact of non-traditional media on the presidential race.

According to Reuters, the Harris team has met with Rogan over the past week to discuss an appearance on the show for an extensive interview of the Democratic presidential candidate. While an interview has yet to be confirmed, the chance to appear on Rogan's podcast would allow Harris to reach tens of millions of listeners on the most popular podcast in the world. Rogan has 14.5 million followers on Spotify, and his interviews constantly appear at the top of the music and podcast streaming platform charts.

A recent survey of his listeners found that 81 percent are male, and a staggering 56 percent are between the ages of 18 and 34, with an additional 37 percent between the ages of 35 and 54. The poll also found that Rogan's audience is interested in athletics, history, entrepreneurship, and staying healthy. While it is likely that a large proportion of Rogan's audience is apolitical, the opportunity to get in front of those voters would be advantageous to a campaign struggling to connect with young men.

As Harris attempts to get on the largest podcast in the world in a desperate attempt to lobby for the young male demographic, others point out the fact the Democratic presidential candidate is going on a show with a man who the media have maligned for years. "The guy who was a threat to science and public health? Who said racist words? Who needed to be pulled from Spotify? The guy who Mara Gay said three days ago on MSNBC was recruiting people to fascism? That Joe Rogan? Life comes at you fast," National Review's Charles C. W. Cooke wrote. 

President Trump said on Monday that he would appear on "The Joe Rogan Experience" before November 5. "Oh, sure I would. I mean, I think I'm doing it, actually," Trump said during an appearance on the "Nelk Boys" podcast, adding that Rogan was a "good guy." The Trump-Vance ticket has been very active in appearing on various podcasts in recent weeks as they attempt to connect with non-traditional audiences. These efforts have had a noticeable impact on the electorate, with a majority of men backing the Republican candidate while women break overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris.

The gender gap has been a constant in presidential elections going back decades, but the 2024 race has seen a historic widening of the preferences between genders, with Harris winning over a large majority of female voters while Trump wins over a similar majority of men. According to a recent New York Times/Siena poll in the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, 55 percent of men support Trump's candidacy, while only 39 percent of women feel the same.

Nationally, the gap is even wider, with Trump enjoying a 17-point lead among men (56 percent to 39 percent) while Harris has a 14 percent lead among women (55 percent to 41 percent). In contrast to this year's election cycle, the 2020 presidential race saw Trump win 53 percent of men and 42 percent of women, an 11-point gap. President Biden won 45 percent of men and 57 percent of women, a 12-point gap. 

You can follow Sterling on X here.