Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to millions over the radio to ease their minds during the Great Depression. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first to air a campaign ad on television in 1952. In the 1960 campaign, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon sparred in the first televised debate.
Democrat Charlotte-area Congressman Jeff Jackson was one of the first to utilize TikTok — a short-form social media platform embattled by policymakers for its connection to the Chinese Communist Party and its effects on children’s mental health. Jackson’s short and candid videos — typically shot in his kitchen or living room — have clarified votes in Washington while expanding his name brand back home. This has paid dividends, as he runs three points ahead of Republican fellow Congressmen Dan Bishop for North Carolina attorney general, according to the latest Carolina Journal poll.
Politicians have always sought emerging media formats to expand their reach and name recognition — this year is no different. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are fighting over the domination of a new medium: podcasts.
The final stretch of this campaign season has seen both candidates make an explosion of podcast appearances. The podcast blitz is part of both campaigns’ larger strategy to “get out the vote.” All appearances on this emerging medium are targeted at politically disinterested voters. Podcast hosts interviewing Harris and Trump are comedians and internet personalities, not lifelong journalists.
Last week, Kamala Harris appeared on Call Her Daddy, a raunchy, sex-positive comedy podcast targeting young women. The podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper, recently topped the Spotify charts as the No. 1 podcast in America.
In the interview, Cooper primarily focused on abortion rights, a top issue for young female voters. “The conversation I know I’m qualified to have is the one surrounding women’s bodies and how we are treated and valued in this country,” she said before hosting Harris. Call Her Daddy boasts a 70% female audience, 76% of whom are younger than 36.
Similarly, Donald Trump has made appearances on various podcasts with hosts ranging from comedians such as Theo Von and Andrew Schulz to famous YouTube personalities like Logan Paul and the Nelk Boys — a Canadian-American entertainment group cofounded by Kyle Forgeard and Jesse Sebastiani, referred to as “two of the most recognizable personalities for young people in North America.”
Trump appeared on the Full Send Podcast — hosted by the Nelk Boys — last year, making the episode the third most-watched episode, behind episodes with Elon Musk and Mike Tyson. Trump’s return to the podcast, released last week, already has over one million views.
The podcast appearances have primarily been with favorable outlets: Kamala Harris with a sex-positive young female podcast and Trump with a machismo, irreverant podcast. They are banking on the idea that as politics continues to become a source of entertainment, it will result in a higher turnout of support. No longer will there be a genuinely disengaged voter.
What does this mean for politics and media moving forward? First, lucrative appearances of prominent politicians will be a source of legitimacy for podcast hosts and social media figures, providing unparalleled engagement that reaps plentiful revenue for the creator. Second, podcasts might usurp traditional media, such as legacy television interviews. Instead of the buttoned-up stump speeches given at rallies or broadcasted town halls, podcasts provide a venue for a more palatable political dialogue for the highly sought-after disengaged voter.
Podcasts are digestible and accessible forms of media that users can consume throughout their day. Nearly 70 million Americans reported listening to podcasts in 2023. That type of candidate-to-voter access is unparalleled and irreplicable in modern television media.
It’s no surprise that Trump, harnessing his bravado and anti-establishment fervor, opts to appear in this new media format, much to the chagrin of more polished, established television media outlets. Kamala Harris’s replication of the practice further underscores emerging media’s value.
Going forward, both campaigns ramp up their podcast strategy by vying for the airwaves of the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast, hosted by the UFC color commentator and comedian. Rogan’s podcast has topped the podcast charts for years. Earlier this year, Spotify and Rogan struck an estimated $250 million deal.
Trump indicated that he would appear on the JRE podcast during his recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast. Rogan faced scorn earlier this year from Trump for his praise of then-presidential candidate and now-Trump surrogate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Similarly, Harris’ campaign team met with JRE producers earlier this week to discuss her possible appearance. Rogan also faced scorn from Democrats for his views on vaccine mandates and government censorship. Both interviews will likely be full of pushback from Rogan, making for entertaining exchanges.
With less than a month until Election Day and early votes already being cast across the country and state, it’s unlikely that any podcast appearance will substantially change the course of the election. However, these appearances can affect voter turnout marginally by influencing disengaged citizens to vote. With Trump and Harris effectively tied in North Carolina, according to polling, any marginal advantages during the final stretch could mean a difference.
The era of podcast-driven campaigns is here to stay, and no matter who wins this November, one thing is clear: we are about to elect our nation’s first “podcast president” and potentially North Carolina’s first “TikTok attorney general.”