In a highly anticipated interview, Donald Trump spoke on a wide range of cultural and political issues during a three-hour conversation Friday night with Joe Rogan, the host of one of the world’s biggest podcasts. .
The recording lasted so long that Trump was hours late to a rally in Traverse City, Miss., that evening. many people left.
Rogen’s interview is a continuation of Trump’s turn to non-traditional media, including podcasts, in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Rogan also invited Vice President Kamala Harris for an interview, but her campaign declined. Rogan’s podcast has over 17 million YouTube subscribers.
Much of the interview, posted online around 10 p.m. Friday night, consisted of comments Trump has made throughout the campaign.
He said the war in Ukraine would never have happened if he were president, complaining that the moderator did not present enough facts to Vice President Kamala Harris during a debate with Trump. Verification, lashing out at traditional media, does things like continue to cast Harris and Democrats as more.
Rogan had asked Trump to provide examples of how the 2020 election was stolen, as he has long falsely claimed. Trump gave a largely rambling answer involving changes to election laws that he said did not have the proper legislative approval.
“They were doing things that should have been approved legislatively, but they weren’t,” Trump said, referring to changes that made voting easier during the height of the pandemic.
Trump, who is running for a second term in the White House, will not be able to run for a third term if he wins. He said that “if I win,” this will be his last election. He has not said whether he will run again if he loses.
“If I win, this will be my last election,” he said. “But I think I have a responsibility to the country. We have to have fair elections.”
Trump has made his baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen a key part of his campaign message for the 2024 election, even though he acknowledged in September that he lost the race to President Joe Biden by “one vote.”beard.”
In the final weeks of the election, Trump’s campaign rhetoric became increasingly hostile, threatening actions such as: imprison his political opponents and stripping away the broadcast licenses of media organizations whose opposition has become more of a regular topic at campaign rallies.
That has led his opponents to portray Trump as someone with authoritarian instincts, a point his former chief of staff John Kelly told The Washington Post this past week. new york times Trump fits the definition of fascist.
“I’m actually the opposite of a dictator,” Trump defended himself on Friday. “I’m a very straight person.
Trump also told Rogan that he learned a lot about UFOs.
“There’s no reason not to think that Mars and all these planets are devoid of life.” Rogan was quick to correct his view on life on Mars.
“Mars, we have probes and rovers there, but I don’t think there is life there,” Rogan said.
“Maybe this is the life we don’t know,” Trump responded.
At one point, Rogan also appeared to try to prevent Trump from praising Confederate general Robert E. Lee, who he had spoken to. affectionately in the past. Trump gave no specifics, but said generals he had spoken to thought Lee was a “genius.” At that point, Rogan interjected and asked Trump to clarify that he only meant “strategically,” to which Trump agreed.
Later in the interview, Rogen seemed to foreshadow the criticism Trump might draw from Lee’s comments.
“Donald Trump wants the South to win,” Rogan said, imitating what he perceived as criticism.
“Joe Rogan’s Experience” launched in 2009 and is one of the most popular podcasts in the United States, especially among young men.
The episodes are often several hours long and feature guests from a variety of industries including entertainment, sports, technology and politics.
Rogen is a former stand-up comedian and host of “Fear Factor” who has developed a strong following as an unlikely political pundit. But his popularity has been accompanied by growing criticism over the years – with the presenter facing accusations that he Spreading Covid misinformation, use of racial slurs and Make anti-Semitic remarks on his show.
While Rogan hasn’t shied away from political topics, he hasn’t issued any official endorsements this election cycle.
August, Rogan says Said on his podcast that he was a fan of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but later clarified In X’s post He did not support independent candidates at the time. Kennedy Jr. Later withdrew from the competition And support Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris also was in talks to be interviewed by Rogan, but was unsuccessful. Her campaign spokesman Ian Sams told MSNBC on Thursday, “We have discussed the podcast with Rogan and his team, and unfortunately due to scheduling during the campaign, it will not be available at this time. success.
Trump is not known to be humble, but he seemed to acknowledge the importance of appearing on Rogan’s podcast, at one point referring to himself as “your student.”
On the environment, Trump said environmental regulations are the “biggest tool we have to stop growth” and continued to attack his long-time nemesis windmills for what he said were their harmful effects on wildlife. In this case, Trump said he was concerned about the impact of windmills on whales.
“I want to be a whale psychiatrist,” he said. “If something happens to the whales, they’re going crazy, but they’re going to be washed away, but they’re not talking about environmentalists, right?”
He also continued his personal attacks on Harris, calling her “not smart” and viewing her as a greater threat to the country than even foreign advisers.
“If she becomes president of the United States, I can’t believe it’s going to happen,” Trump said. “I don’t think this country is going to make it.”
Trump has increasingly called Harris “stupid,” and at a rally in Las Vegas on Thursday night, he said her policies would “kill thousands of people.”
On Friday, however, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued a letter calling on Harris to tone down her rhetoric. They believe Trump could face a third assassination attempt due to his fiery campaign rhetoric.
“Labeling a political opponent ‘fascist’ could bring in another potential assassin trying to take away voters’ choice before Election Day,” Two wrote.
The letter did not mention that Trump had repeatedly used the word to refer to Harris.
As the third hour of the interview approached, Trump said he realized he needed to attend a scheduled rally in Michigan but was running late because Rogan’s interview was taking so long.
“I’ve got to go give a great speech,” Trump said. “If I don’t perform well tonight, I’m going to blame you.”
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