This article originally appeared in the Election print issue, in stands November 2024. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
The 2024 presidential election campaigns are uniquely inspired by the reach for Gen Z voters, and for the first time in election history, podcasts have been significantly used as a leg of campaign strategy by both presidential candidates: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Podcasts have floated information from devices to eardrums since 2004 when Dave Winer and Adam Curry developed the program known as iPodder, which allowed users to download radio broadcasts to their iPods. As of Oct. 28, there are now over 4.3 million registered podcasts in the radio ecosystem, about 2 million of which originated in the United States.
According to Sirius XM, “Gen Z is turning to podcasts for more than just simple entertainment — they’re looking for fresh perspectives and conversations.” A Republican strategist close to the Trump campaign anonymously told Columbia Journalism Review in October that podcasts have become a premier medium for presidential campaign teams to reach and connect with the young new voters that aid in the determination of electoral outcomes.
Call Her Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris appeared on the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy” hosted by Alex Cooper. “Call Her Daddy” has been creating conversation since 2018 and covers topics related to mental health, relationships, sex, sexuality and places its overall focus on women. According to Edison Research, “Call Her Daddy” is one of the top five most listened to podcasts by women.
Cooper has often refrained from speaking about politics on her podcast because she wants “Call Her Daddy” to be a place where everyone feels comfortable tuning in. Her motive in inviting Harris onto the podcast was not to change anyone’s political views or affiliations, but instead lies in her passion for women’s rights.
“I couldn’t see a world in which one of the main conversations in this election is women and I’m not a part of it,” Cooper said.
Harris appeared on the podcast to speak about how the advocacy for women is rooted in her campaign strategy. She chose Cooper’s platform, praising it for being dedicated to speaking about the things that matter to her listeners.
“People want to feel like they are really seen and heard, and that they are part of a community and that they aren’t out there alone,” Harris said.
One of the major pieces in Harris’ campaign puzzle aims to reinforce women’s rights, so her appearance on a podcast like “Call Her Daddy” that is primarily listened to by young women presents a golden opportunity to reach the demographic of viewers most likely to empathize with her cause.
Bro-Casts Spotlight Donald Trump
Donald Trump jumped on the podcast train far earlier in the race and has primarily appeared on what have become known as “bro-casts” across social media platforms. He joined Logan Paul on his show “Impaulsive,” “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” and a litany of other podcasts that hone in on the demographic of young men that are key to his campaign strategy.
He also jumped at the opportunity to appear on “The Joe Rogan Experience” which is the No. 1 podcast globally and targets predominantly male listeners. Rogan hosted a three-hour show with Trump, which covered a breadth of topics including economical issues and insight into Trump’s commitment to bringing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into his administration.
Rogan posted an announcement on X soon after his interview with Trump saying that Harris’ campaign reached out to him to do an interview as well, but he had to decline due to a scheduling conflict.
Just nine days after the interview, Rogan announced his endorsement of Trump’s campaign. Trump stated his gratitude for Rogan at his swing state rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Nov. 4.
“To me it’s very big because he is the biggest [podcaster] there is in that world by far,” he said. “And he doesn’t [endorse], he doesn’t do that stuff.”
Listening Ears On
Podcasts are having a “coming of age” moment as they have become a form of mainstream media and have placed a microphone right at the mouth of political discourse. Presidential podcast appearances have allowed for the humanization of both Trump and Harris in a more intimate manner than the light typically cast on them during televised presidential debates.
Though their approaches are vastly different, both candidates have given podcasts a primary role in their campaign strategies which has allowed them access to the evolving minds of young people that otherwise might have voted blindly. They have placed the roots of the election more eye level to Gen Z and these media appearances on “trendy” podcasts have allowed the candidates to garner an audience in a generation that, according to a study conducted by Jigsaw, a Google subsidiary, often turn towards social media for information and away from traditional forms of news.