Donald Trump is giving some unexpected credit for his 2024 election win and it’s not to a political strategist, but to his own son, Barron. In a recent interview aboard Air Force One with OutKick founder Clay Travis, Trump was asked if he had any advice for Kamala Harris, who’s rumored to be considering a run for California governor.
At first, Trump played coy, saying, “I’d let her run,” and claiming he didn’t want to give political advice. But then, he dropped a hint that sounded a lot like something he learned from Barron: “One thing she’s gotta do, she’s gotta start doing interviews.” Of course, he couldn’t resist taking a jab at Joe Biden, adding that Biden dodged interviews during COVID and still got away with it.
Back in 2024, Trump revealed that Barron had a major hand in helping him connect with younger voters by pushing him to appear on popular podcasts. “He tells me about all the ‘hot’ guys, people I’ve never heard of [for podcasts]…” Trump told Fox News at the time. And it turns out, Barron was onto something. According to Fast Company, podcasting played a big role in the GOP’s success, allowing Trump to specifically target Gen Z and younger male voters.
Trump made the rounds on several popular podcasts, including The Joe Rogan Experience, Flagrant with Andrew Schulz, and This Past Weekend with Theo Von. He even sat down with streamer Adin Ross despite Ross’ controversial reputation for an interview that pulled in 500,000 viewers. Barron had apparently encouraged the appearance, with Trump recalling, “My sons told me about you… Barron said, ‘Dad, he’s really big.’”
Some political observers have since dubbed 2024 “the podcast election,” comparing it to past shifts in media influence, like how television played a key role in the Nixon-Kennedy debates. One user on X (formerly Twitter) noted, “She should have gone on Rogan. It might not have tipped it, but you have to play the game on the field.”
Harris isn’t new to podcasting she appeared on Call Her Daddy in 2024 but whether she’ll embrace the same strategy that helped Trump is another question. Either way, Barron’s media instincts seem to have played a bigger role in politics than anyone expected.
Podcast Power: Trump’s 2024 Strategy Could Be Harris’ 2026 Playbook
