Donald Trump sat down with Jake Paul on Paul’s YouTube channel recently, where he talked about the forces that shaped his 2024 presidential victory. At the center of that reflection was podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
“Joe Rogan was a great interview. He reached 300 million people,” Trump told Paul.
The appearance on Rogan’s podcast, recorded just weeks before the November 2024 election, is widely regarded as one of the pivotal moments of Trump’s campaign. Rather than leaning exclusively on traditional media, Trump’s team made a deliberate pivot toward digital creators and podcasters, recognizing that a significant segment of the electorate had moved its attention to those platforms.
That strategy paid off, but Trump revealed it had a very personal starting point: his youngest son, Barron.
Trump said: “You know, it’s funny. I did him, and I did some other guys who were really great guys. Barron, my son, I have a very tall son, yeah. And he’s a smart guy and a good kid. But he listens to you. The first time I ever heard your name was through my son.”
He continued: “And he knew a lot of the… I don’t know if you call them podcasters or influencers or whatever you want to call them, but he gave me some names that I had never heard of. And they were very important to the internet,” Trump said.
Barron’s guidance didn’t stop at introductions. According to Trump, it was his son who made the Rogan appearance feel essential.
“Then he said, ‘Dad, you’ve got to do Joe Rogan.’ And we wanted to do it. We were talking about it for a long time, even before politics, about other things. But we had a great talk. It lasted for three and a half hours. And you call that long form, right? It was a nice conversation with a great guy. He’s a great guy. And she should have done it, I guess, but she didn’t,” Trump said, referencing Kamala Harris’s decision to stay off Rogan’s platform ahead of the election.
The episode ran close to three hours and has since surpassed 60 million views across YouTube and Spotify. The reach translated directly to results.
According to AP VoteCast data cited by NPR, 56 percent of young men between the ages of 18 and 29 voted for Trump in 2024, a substantial jump from the 41 percent who backed him in 2020. It was precisely the demographic his revised campaign strategy had targeted.
Behind the scenes, UFC CEO Dana White played a quiet but meaningful role in making the Rogan episode happen. White, a longtime Trump ally, persuaded Rogan to welcome the then-candidate onto his platform, citing Trump’s years of support for the UFC even during the organization’s more uncertain early days.
That bond between Trump and the UFC has continued well into his return to the White House. He has remained a consistent presence at UFC events and last year announced UFC Freedom 250, a major card set for the South Lawn on June 14, headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje.
The production is expected to cost the UFC over $60 million, with roughly 5,000 spectators on hand.
With the event approximately 92 days away, the logistical ambition is matched by a growing sense of unease, particularly from Rogan himself, who is widely expected to be part of the broadcast team. On a recent episode of his podcast, he was direct about his reservations.
“Yes, I am excited. It sounds crazy. I know it’s going to be very high security and high stress and weird to have an event at the White House in the middle of a f**king war. I would hope the war will be sorted out by June, but quite honestly, I’m not confident that’s going to be the case,” he said.
