Both presidential candidates have sat down for interviews with prominent podcasters as the November 5 election draws ever closer—but who had the biggest reach?
Republican nominee Donald Trump sat down with Joe Rogan for a three-hour episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, which was released on Friday, October 25. Earlier this month, his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris was featured on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast on October 6. Harris’s campaign also talked with Rogan to arrange an interview, but due to scheduling conflicts the appearance did not materialize.
During the episode, Trump reflected on his regrets from his first term in the White House, spoke about proposed policy initiatives such as abolishing income tax, and reiterated unfounded claims regarding the rigging of the 2020 election.
Both podcasts have phenomenal reach, raking in millions of listeners per episode. According to the Call Her Daddy‘s page, it is “the most listened to podcast by women on Spotify,” while The Joe Rogan Experience has long-held the coveted top spot on the streaming platform’s podcast rankings.
Their appearances demonstrate a relatively new tactic for presidential candidates, both of whom have forgone consistent traditional media interviews during the campaigning period and instead targeted specific, yet large, audiences through a range of podcasts.
How Do Rogan and Cooper Compare?
The Joe Rogan Show is currently number one on Spotify, while Call Her Daddy takes the number five spot.
Trump’s sit-down with Rogan is his second-most listened to episode, at least according to YouTube figures, having been watched 39 million times since it was released on Friday. Rogan’s most popular episode, posted in 2019, has been watched 61 million times. While Rogan frequently interviews famous people from all walks of life, there’s little comparison to be made between the magnitude of his recent guest appearance compared to a former president and third-time GOP nominee.
Listening figures direct from Spotify are not available for either podcast, and the full interview with Harris is not available on the Call Her Daddy YouTube page. However, a seven-minute clip has garnered 742,000 views.
Newsweek has contacted Spotify for viewing figures via the contact form on its website outside of regular working hours.
In terms of social media, Rogan’s podcast has 3 million followers on Instagram, compared to Cooper’s 2.4 million.
Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks before departing the vice president’s residence on October 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at McCamish Pavilion on October 28, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Both candidates have sat down with podcasters, but who had the biggest reach?
Kevin Dietsch/Anna Moneymaker/GETTY
Demographics
As the candidates seek to drum up support from specific audiences ahead of polling day, Cooper and Rogan’s podcasts have vastly different listeners.
According to Edison Research, 80 percent of Rogan’s listeners are male. Just over half of all those who tune in are aged between 18 and 34. More Republicans (32 percent) listen to Rogan than Democrats (27 percent), while 35 percent class themselves as “independent or something else.”
Meanwhile, Call Her Daddy’s audience is 70 percent women, according to NPR reporter Elena Moore, and 93 percent of listeners are under 45. Its reach sways toward Democrats (48 percent), while just under a quarter (24 percent) are Republicans.
