In a recent episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan dismissed a guest's suggestion that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have struggled to endure a three-hour interview, a feat accomplished by President Donald Trump just before the 2024 election.
Comedian James McCann joined Rogan for a Thursday discussion, which touched upon Rogan's extensive interview with Trump and his near-miss with Harris. Although Rogan had endorsed Trump prior to the election, he has since voiced criticism on certain issues, such as mass deportations.
According to Mediaite, Rogan reminisced about the Trump interview, noting, "No questions beforehand, no prep, didnt pee, sat there for three hours. Hes almost 80. If he was wearing a diaper, respect, but the guy just hung out for three hours. Does that mean I agree with everything he does? F**k no. Of course not."
McCann responded by asserting, "But he was able to be himself for three hours. He was able to talk for three hours whereas Kamala wouldnt do it. She wouldnt do it." Rogan countered, "She could have done it. Im telling you, man, it would have been fine."
McCann further argued his point by expressing disappointment with Harris's appearance on Stephen Colbert's late-night show, stating, "I watched her for six minutes on Stephen Colbert and I dont think she could do it." Rogan contended that shows like Colbert's are "handicapped from the jump" due to time constraints, commercial breaks, and audience influence. He elaborated, "You only have seven minutes before you have to cut to commercial, or whatever it is. You cant do that. Itll take me seven minutes to ask what she likes to cook I want to know is there anything she regrets doing, what has she learned from this time, is it more complicated being a vice president than you thought it was going to be?"
Rogan expressed a desire to ask Harris personal questions about the realities of her role as vice president, as well as delve into the topic of money in politics, particularly the impact of corporate backing on candidates. He remarked, "Were not pretending that people dont spend a lot of money to influence your decisions so how much of an affect does it have we couldve talked for hours about that."
Both Rogan and Harris have shared their perspectives on why an interview never materialized. Rogan, who had long resisted the idea of hosting Trump, eventually opened up to it and attempted to secure interviews with both candidates.
Rogan claimed that Harris's team proposed a date, but it would have necessitated travel and been restricted to an hour. He also alleged that a condition of the interview was to avoid discussing marijuana legalization, a frequent topic on his podcast. Harris, in her book, recounted her version of events, asserting that a date had been set for the Rogan interview, but he had marked it as a "personal day," which he used to interview Trump.
She also claimed that Rogan agreed to interview her in Detroit but requested a change to Austin, Texas, where his podcast studio is located, calling it a "big ask" during a presidential campaign. Ultimately, Trump traveled to the studio for his interview.
Harris reflected on the situation, writing, "Even though most of my team thought doing the interview at all was a gamble, and others bluntly argued it was a bad idea, I really wanted to do it. One podcast was not going to win or lose the election. But Rogans audience was young and male. I wanted to reach those guys who might not otherwise hear from me."
This ongoing debate highlights the complexities and challenges faced by political figures in navigating media appearances and reaching diverse audiences.
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