In a extremely anticipated interview, Donald Trump touched on a variety of cultural and political points Friday night time in an three-hour dialog with Joe Rogan, who hosts one of many greatest podcasts on the planet.
The recording went on so lengthy that Trump arrived a number of hours late to his rally that night time in Traverse Metropolis, Mich. Annoyed at having to attend so lengthy, many individuals left.
The Rogan interview is a continuation of Trump turning to nontraditional media shops, together with podcasts, within the weeks main as much as Election Day. Rogan additionally invited Vice President Kamala Harris to do an interview, however her marketing campaign has declined. Rogan’s podcast has greater than 17 million YouTube subscribers.
A lot of the interview, which put on-line round 10 p.m. Friday night time, was rehashed commentary Trump has expressed all through the marketing campaign.
He mentioned the warfare in Ukraine would by no means have occurred if he have been president, complained about moderators not fact-checking Vice President Kamala Harris sufficient throughout her one debate with Trump, blasted the normal media, did issues like proceed to border Harris and Democrats as extra harmful than overseas foes and dabbled in conspiratorial discuss in regards to the 2020 election being stolen.
Rogan at one level requested Trump to offer examples of how the 2020 election was stolen, as he has lengthy falsely claimed. Trump gave a largely rambling reply that touched on election regulation adjustments that he mentioned didn’t get correct legislative approval.
“They have been imagined to get legislative approval to do the issues they did, they usually did not get it,” Trump mentioned, referencing adjustments that made it simpler to vote through the top of the pandemic.
Trump, who’s operating for his second White Home time period and wouldn’t be capable of run for a 3rd time period if he wins, mentioned it might be his final election “if I win.” He was noncommittal on whether or not he would run once more if he loses.
“If I win, that’ll be, this will probably be my final election,” he mentioned. “However I feel I owe it to the nation. We have now to have honest elections.”
Trump has made baseless claims in regards to the 2020 election being stolen a key a part of the marketing campaign’s message by way of the 2024 election, despite the fact that he admitted in September that he misplaced the race to President Joe Biden by a “whisker.”
Trump’s marketing campaign rhetoric has more and more grown hostile within the last weeks of the election, with threats to do issues like jail his political opponents and strip broadcast licenses from media organizations he opposes turning into extra common matters at marketing campaign rallies.
It has led his opponents to forged Trump as somebody who has dictatorial instincts, one thing highlighted over the previous week when his former chief of employees John Kelly instructed the The New York Occasions that Trump matches the definition of a fascist.
“I used to be truly the other of a dictator,” Trump mentioned Friday, defending himself. “I used to be a really straight man.
Trump additionally instructed Rogan that he has discovered lots about UFOs.
“There is no motive to not suppose that Mars and all these planets do not have life.” Rogan rapidly corrected him about life on Mars.
“Mars, we have had probes there and rovers, and I do not suppose there’s any life there,” Rogan mentioned.
“Perhaps it is life that we do not know,” Trump responded.
Rogan at one level additionally appeared to try to catch Trump from praising accomplice basic Robert E. Lee, whom Trump has talked fondly of prior to now. With out specifics, Trump mentioned that generals he talks to suppose Lee was a “genius.” At that time, Rogan chimed in asking Trump to make clear that he solely meant “strategically,” which Trump concurred.
Later within the interview, Rogan appeared to foreshadow the truth that Trump’s Lee remark might get him criticized.
“Donald Trump needs the South received,” Rogan mentioned, mimicking what he thought the criticism may sound like.
“The Joe Rogan Expertise,” which launched in 2009, is of 1 the preferred podcasts in the USA, notably amongst younger males.
The episodes, that are often hours-long, function a wide selection of visitors from numerous industries, together with leisure, sports activities, tech and politics.
Rogan, a former humorist and host of “Worry Issue,” has constructed a strong following as an unlikely political pundit. However his recognition has been coupled with years of mounting criticism — the host has confronted accusations that he had unfold Covid misinformation, used a racial slur and made antisemitic feedback on his present.
Whereas he has not shied away from political matters, Rogan has not issued any official endorsements this election cycle.
In August, Rogan mentioned on his podcast that he was a fan of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however later clarified in a publish on X that he wasn’t endorsing the then-independent candidate. Kennedy Jr. later dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris had additionally been in talks to do an interview with Rogan however it did not pan out. Ian Sams, a spokesman for her marketing campaign, instructed MSNBC on Thursday, “We talked with Rogan and his workforce in regards to the podcast, sadly, it is not going to work out proper now due to the scheduling of this era of the marketing campaign.”
Trump, who’s notably not often known as a humble individual, appeared to acknowledge the significance of being on Rogan’s podcast, at one level referring to himself as “a pupil of yours.”
On the surroundings, Trump mentioned that environmental laws are “the largest software to stopping development,” and continued to assault his long-running nemesis, the windmill, for what he mentioned is its dangerous influence on wildlife. On this case, Trump mentioned he was apprehensive in regards to the influence of windmills on whales.
“I wish to be a whale psychiatrist,” he mentioned. “It drives the whales freaking loopy if one thing occurs with them, however they’re getting washed up and but the environmentalists they do not speak about, proper?”
He additionally continued to personally assault Harris, calling her “not sensible” and framing her as a much bigger risk to the nation than even overseas advisories.
“If she turns into the president of the USA, which I am unable to consider can occur,” Trump mentioned. “I do not suppose this nation goes to make it.”
Trump has more and more known as Harris “silly” and through a Thursday night time rally in Las Vegas, he mentioned her insurance policies would “kill hundreds of individuals.”
But on Friday, Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued a letter calling on Harris to tone down the rhetoric. They argued that Trump might face a 3rd assassination try as the results of heated marketing campaign discuss.
“Labeling a political opponent as a ‘fascist,’ dangers inviting one more would-be murderer to strive robbing voters of their alternative earlier than election day,” the two wrote.
The letter didn’t point out that Trump has utilized that time period to Harris on a number of events.
Because the third hour of the interview approached, Trump mentioned he realized he wanted to get to a scheduled rally in Michigan, which he was late for due to the size of the Rogan interview.
“I’ve received to go make an ideal speech,” Trump mentioned. “And If I am a little bit off tonight, I’ll blame you.”
