Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be attempting to widen her appeal by hopping onto the podcast bandwagon, somewhat mimicking the strategy that former President Donald Trump used to great success. Of course, it seems that Harris may need a crash course in how to actually connect with the audience, especially since her performance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast is landing with a thud compared to Trump’s recent podcast triumph.
As the clock ticks down to the election, Harris finds herself neck and neck with Trump in crucial battleground states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina. This high stakes atmosphere has prompted both candidates to ramp up media appearances as they scramble to capture the hearts and minds of voters who may be flipping coins at this point. While Harris thought she could charm the masses with a stop on a podcast better known for raunchy content, Trump was basking in the limelight of interviews, raking in millions of views.
Dubbed the first politician to grace the Call Her Daddy podcast, Harris appeared while the show was reveling in its history of provocative titles and raunchy discussions. Surprisingly, her episode was simply titled with her name and title; perhaps a missed opportunity to attract attention. Contrast this with Trump’s engaging banter on comedian Theo Von’s This Past Weekend, where he quickly established himself as a formidable media presence.
Trump’s podcast interview garners more views than Harris podcast https://t.co/IlPKjN31BI
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 7, 2024
The numbers tell a clear story. While Harris could muster a modest 108,000 views on YouTube for her abortion-centric clip, Trump’s entire interview racked up an astonishing 13.7 million views. That’s not just a swing and a miss; it’s more akin to a complete strikeout. With Von’s podcast boasting over 3 million subscribers compared to Call Her Daddy’s fewer than 1 million, it seems Harris’s choice of platform may not have been the best calculated move.
As Harris struggles to capture media attention following her uneven debate against Trump, it’s telling that after declaring her candidacy, she stood behind her closed doors for a full month without granting any interviews. Now, after finally crawling out from under her rock, she plans to double her interview count with an upcoming interview on CBS and a chat with Howard Stern. One can’t help but wonder if the Vice President will ever learn that appearing on podcasts should involve more than just showcasing a bland platform that may or may not land with the audience. It seems those numbers are going to be a hard pill to swallow as the Election Day approaches.
