There are three kinds of Joe Rogan fans.
The first category is the “MMA Bros” — the dudes with shaved heads, cauliflower ears, big biceps, and tribal tattoos. They’re fans of Rogan’s UFC commentary and are inspired by his approach to fitness, health, and masculinity. Politics isn’t necessarily top-of-mind, but after the COVID-era restrictions and overt liberal hostility, they’re now more comfortable in the Republican camp. When they hear the mainstream media attack “toxic masculinity,” the MMA Bros fully understand that they’re attacking ALL masculinity — and they take it personally.
MMA Bros aren’t ideologically conservative. Most are probably pro-abortion, pro-marijuana, pro-gay marriage, and pro-social safety net. Sometimes they traffic in wacky conspiracy theories. But they’re deeply, passionately attracted to the conservative ethos of rugged individualism, hard work, faith, and self-determination. For this group, Trump staring down an assassin’s bullet — with rivulets of blood streaking down his face — and then rising to his feet with his fist uplifted was THE COOLEST THING EVER! That single moment embodied everything positive they believe about masculinity.
The second category consists of the “Platform Fans.” They’re not connected to Rogan on an emotional, intellectual, or attitudinal level, but still (occasionally) enjoy his podcasts, MMA commentary, and/or standup comedy. For the most part, they value Rogan’s insights and enjoy him conversationally, but that’s about it. Through his UFC work and podcasts, he’s exposed them to many fascinating guests and topics, and they appreciate that. But at the end of the day, “The Joe Rogan Experience” (JRE) is just a platform. Sure, it’s an important platform because it gets millions of views, but it’s just a place to watch long-form interviews.
The third and final category are actual “Red-Blooded Conservatives.” Ever since FOX News dropped Roger Ailes, The Drudge Report turned into MSNBC Part 2, and Rush Limbaugh turned off his golden EIB microphone for good, there hasn’t been a “mothership” for modern conservatism. Our universe is hopelessly splintered: FNC retained a portion; Tucker Carlson took some; outlets like The Daily Wire, The Blaze, PJ Media, etc. have cultivated others. Elon Musk has relocated a piece to Twitter/X. And because of his size, Rogan owns millions of ‘em, too.
It wasn’t like this prior to 2016. For decades, you could always speak to — and directly mobilize — the entire conservative base via Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, or a breaking story on Drudge. But that was then; there’s no go-to platform anymore. Joe Rogan’s podcast is about as close as we get.
So, what could we expect from Donald Trump’s tete-a-tete with Joe Rogan, now that Trump has confirmed he’ll be making an appearance?
Trump confirms he’s going on Joe Rogan with the Nelk Boys! pic.twitter.com/cyMJSRnEFc
— Nelk Boys (@nelkboys) October 13, 2024
For starters, we know it’ll be a fun, entertaining conversation. Rogan is a ridiculously skillful conversationalist, and Trump certainly knows how to keep an audience riveted. It’s never been Rogan’s style to be confrontational or rude, so I’m sure the tone won’t just be respectful — it’ll border on reverence.
(And… the over/under for questions about Roswell, Area 51, and space aliens is six.)
Trump will come across as manly, confident, introspective, and reasonable. Amongst Rogan’s greatest strengths is his ability to “normalize” highly unusual (and oft-abnormal) guests. Rogan’s likeability shines so brightly, it bleaches and sterilizes his guests’ impurities, so you walk away liking both: They’re the friends you wish you had.
During the podcast, Trump will speak to millions of conservatives — and afterward, he’ll speak to millions more, when the leading “digital conservatives” like YouTube stalwarts like Ben Shapiro and company slice up the footage and amplify the message. You’ll soon see portions of the interview all over social media (Twitter/X more so than Facebook, methinks). In a medium where content is king, Trump appearing on JRE will feed the masses for days. Maybe even an entire week.
And in an era of the 24-hour news cycle, that’s about as much legs as a story’s gonna get.
Conservatives were always going to vote for Trump, but it’s still important to keep them engaged. But the true benefit of Trump appearing with Rogan is the first category of JRE fans: The MMA Bros.
There’s a lot of ‘em, but they aren’t politically minded. If they have a choice between standing in line to vote on Election Day or squeezing in a wicked-cool upper-body workout, they’ll choose the latter. But if they feel positive enough about Trump — or negative enough about Kamala Harris — then mobilizing millions of semi-engaged males can make a difference in a razor-close election.
Joe Rogan isn’t a lone wolf. He’s cultivated and nurtured an entire ecosystem of podcasters (many of which have already hosted Trump). Guys like Shane Gillis, Brendan Schaub, Theo Von, Lex Fridman and others are all Joe Rogan Acolytes, and if Trump’s acceptable to Joe, then Trump’s acceptable to them. The podcasting “Bro-sphere” is comprised of Planet Rogan and thousands of smaller satellites ensnared in his gargantuan orbit. After the Trump interview, each of these satellites will serve as his echo chamber, amplifying the outreach.
All marketing campaigns lead to an “action step” — the moment when you’re asking your target audience to do something. Maybe it’s clicking on a link or calling a number; in the old days, it might’ve been getting ‘em to walk into your store. But for elections, the action step is GOTV: Get Out The Vote.
It’s not enough for Americans to agree with us; they must also care enough to physically vote.
The closer to the election this interview drops, the better. It’s one of the few platforms left in America that really can make a difference.
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