Trump’s ‘bro’ podcast strategy makes me nervous

If you’re watching me right now…there’s a solid chance you don’t know who Theo Von is. The short answer is that he’s a podcaster who talks a lot about recovery, and is politically…more or less moderate, with leanings towards the right that manage to come off relatively inoffensive thanks to his good-old-boy persona. 

And he just got a huge sit-down interview with Donald Trump, during which they discussed, um…cocaine. A lot, actually. I didn’t hate the interview, exactly – Trump seemed actually interested in Von’s story, which is new – and it was kind of fascinating to see someone with seemingly no political agenda just kind of…chatting. It was obviously the softball interview of all softball interviews, so that’s one reason why Trump did it…but it’s also reflective of a larger pattern. 

Trump has been going on “bro” podcasts lately. Von, Adin Ross, NAVY Seal Shawn Ryan…I’ll include Elon Musk in this category. Another notable appearance in addition to Von’s was on Logan Paul’s “Inpaulsive,” where the social media influencer and…WWE wrestler, I guess?…talked Mike Tyson, aliens, and deepfakes. Trump gifted Paul with a t-shirt featuring his mugshot, because of course he did. 

So what’s happening here? It’s strategy. And it’s smart. In fact, it’s making me nervous. 

Trump’s campaign is aware that most people who have declared themselves anti-Trump aren’t changing their minds. So who do they need to access? People who feel angry, disenfranchised. Who maybe haven’t voted in the past, but can be persuaded. 

In an effort to reach these specific segments of the population, Trump is targeting an audience that is largely young, male, and diverse across racial lines. How do you reach this demographic? Not through CNN.

Trump’s apparent strategy of leaning into these young-male-centric podcasts is a calculated move to bypass traditional media filters to connect with young, straight men – who are more likely to have conservative leanings, and who often feel underrepresented in mainstream media. 

Surveys have shown that men under 30 and under support Trump by a more than 10-point margin, while young women support Harris by a nearly 40-point margin. Getting young men out there to vote, in other words, is absolutely key to the Republican strategy.

So how does the Harris campaign meet this strategy head-on? Well, clearly they need to be engaging across platforms, and not only with mainstream media outlets – but think back to the DNC, when said “traditional reporters” were complaining about the access content creators were getting. No. Stop. Let them have access! 

Also, I think it might be time for a Hot Ones featuring our next Madame President. Sorry, Kamala. Take one for the team.