Joe Rogan’s podcast with Donald Trump

Note: This article was originally posted on October 30, 2024, and has since been updated to reflect further news about issues with YouTube and Senator JD Vance’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience.

Former president Donald Trump spent three hours talking with Joe Rogan on the latter’s podcast last Friday in an interview that quickly went viral. As of this writing, the YouTube views of the full interview have already eclipsed 40 million, with various clips from the show garnering millions more. That it reached so many is impressive, considering the video was unlisted for a time due to issues with Spotify—the primary platform where Rogan’s podcast is hosted. 

The difficulties with YouTube led some to believe that the podcast was being censored. Though Rogan was quick to clarify that was not the case, he did question why the video wasn’t trending despite accumulating millions of views. YouTube’s efforts to fix the issue indicate that a problem did exist, even if it was a simple glitch rather than something more nefarious. 

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has since recorded his own podcast with Rogan, one that garnered more than eight million views in the first twenty-four hours. Both Trump and Vance covered similar ground with Rogan, though the latter’s was more conversational in tone.

While there were conflicting reports as to whether Vice President Kamala Harris would follow suit, it appears unlikely to happen at this point. Rogan has given her an open invitation, though at least part of the issue seems to be whether the interview would take place in his Austin studio or on the campaign trail. 

For his part, Rogan posted on X that his “sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen.”

That emphasis on inviting the audience to simply listen in on a conversation is a key part of why The Joe Rogan Experience is one of, if not the, most popular podcasts in the world. It boasts 14.5 million followers on Spotify, along with Rogan’s 19 million followers on Instagram and 17 million YouTube subscribers.

Clearly, the format works and his conversation with Trump fit the mold quite well. 

Why Rogan’s podcast works

Regardless of what you might think about Rogan or Trump—and both tend to elicit strong opinions—the podcast was interesting and revealing in ways that the former president’s interactions with more traditional media or at his rallies simply aren’t. 

The two covered a range of topics, such as:

• Trump’s reflections on his first term in office 
• His approach to foreign policy
• The 2020 election and what he’d like to change about the voting process
• The UFC

It was an eclectic conversation, and Rogan had to pull the former president back on topic at times throughout the three hours. However, it was never contentious, and both seemed to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to talk with one another. 

And I believe Rogan would endeavor to give Harris the same opportunities were she to take him up on the offer of an appearance on the podcast. That doesn’t mean she would get free reign to speak without being challenged—he did not give Trump that kind of freedom either. However, Rogan has a gift for engaging with people in a way that offers a unique opportunity for them to show who they really are. 

And there’s an important lesson in his approach for each of us today. 

A unique calling we all share

Every Christian shares the calling to go and tell others about Jesus (Matthew 28:19–20). However, what that looks like for you may not be what it looks like for me. 

God has given some people the spiritual gift of evangelism, and, for people with that gift, sharing the gospel can seem as natural as breathing. For the rest of us, though, telling people about Jesus can feel a bit more daunting. 

But just because sharing the gospel may not come naturally to us doesn’t mean we don’t have to do it. After all, there were no qualifiers or loopholes in the Great Commission.

Fortunately, God has no interest in setting us up to fail. He knows us because he made us, and he has gifted each of us with everything we need to share the gospel effectively. The key is to do so in his strength rather than our own.

Joe Rogan’s interview with Trump was successful because he used his gifts to facilitate an effective and revealing conversation. And he was able to do so because he has spent countless hours honing those gifts. 

If you are a Christian, you have the added benefit of the Holy Spirit amplifying the abilities and talents that God has given you. There really is no good excuse or reason why you can’t use them effectively to help others know Jesus and experience his love through yours. 

So surrender your gifts back to God, then commit to using them in whatever ways he leads you to do so. And know that, even if it’s not in conversation with a former—and, perhaps, future—president, your faithfulness could still make an eternal difference in the life of someone who is just as valuable in the eyes of our heavenly Father.