Former President Donald Trump’s recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience captured an enormous audience, surpassing even the viewership of the World Series opener. The nearly three-hour conversation skyrocketed to over 20 million views on YouTube in the first 20 hours, later reaching 25 million views within 24 hours.
This landmark episode outperformed the highly anticipated Yankees vs. Dodgers Game 1, which garnered 15.2 million viewers, marking a major win for the non-traditional media landscape.
The Rogan-Trump pairing, once thought unlikely due to Rogan’s past hesitations about featuring Trump, took on an atmosphere that blended elements of a political rally with a late-night talk show. Topics spanned everything from UFOs and the elimination of income tax to Trump’s 2020 election loss. The New York Post reported that the episode pulled in the largest viewership in the show’s history, underscoring the potency of Trump’s appeal on alternative media platforms.
Trump’s unconventional approach of appearing on podcasts and comedy shows reflects a shift aimed at reaching younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, who often favor digital content over traditional media.
“When you look at the impact of podcasts or YouTube shows — non-traditional media — part of the thing is you’re meeting voters where they’re at,” explained senior campaign advisor Jason Miller. The success of this approach is no accident, as Miller credited Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, with recommending many of these high-traffic appearances.
“I’ve got to tell you, hats off to the young man. Every single recommendation he’s made has turned into absolute ratings gold that’s broken the internet,” Miller said, adding that Barron’s influence has been integral to reaching new demographics.
The conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience further highlighted a strategic contrast with Trump’s political opponent, Kamala Harris, who has also explored the podcast realm. Harris recently appeared on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, which, while successful, drew in only 687,000 views over three weeks.
Despite the attention her appearance generated, it failed to capture the same widespread interest as Trump’s. This difference in reach illustrates Trump’s unique ability to resonate with digital-native audiences, using unconventional platforms to communicate his message effectively.
The podcast episode with Rogan is the latest in a series of media appearances by Trump on digital channels, a strategy that aims to engage audiences who might otherwise overlook traditional news sources.
Earlier in the year, Trump also made headlines with appearances on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive and the Nelk Boys’ Full Send Podcast, garnering similar levels of attention. In a campaign season where every interaction counts, Trump’s digital strategy appears to be driving significant engagement and setting new records in the podcasting world.
