Vance Sits Down For Rogan Interview

Kamala Harris is feeling the heat, and it’s pretty clear why. With just days left before Election Day, the chance to reach millions of voters through The Joe Rogan Experience—America’s top podcast—is slipping away, and she’s scrambling to make up for it.

Her team reportedly tried negotiating terms, only to fall short, making it look like she’s simply not up for the unscripted, straight-shooting style Rogan’s audience expects. And just as the door’s closing on her Rogan opportunity, in steps GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance, who’s ready to go live with Rogan for a full, unfiltered interview.

This is a smart move by Vance, who’s traveling to Rogan’s studio in Austin to take full advantage of that massive platform. Trump himself appeared on Rogan’s podcast last week, racking up an impressive 40 million views on YouTube alone. The former president went toe-to-toe with Rogan for three hours, with no notes, no script, and just candid talk—the kind of thing Harris’s team is probably sweating bullets over. Harris hasn’t shut the door on an appearance, but at this point, it’s all too clear she’s dodging. Facing Rogan means tough questions and no teleprompter in sight—a risky situation for a politician who’s accustomed to sticking to the script.

While JD Vance is on his way to reach tens of millions in Rogan’s orbit, where’s Harris? She’s delivering another cookie-cutter rally speech in Pennsylvania, filled with recycled lines about “Trump the authoritarian.” Her big “closing argument” speech Tuesday from the White House Ellipse was more of the same—a steady stream of platitudes about Trump as the ultimate bad guy, trying desperately to cast herself as a unifier. But if her message of “unity” doesn’t exactly have voters lining up at the polls, her fallback plan of tripling down on abortion rhetoric isn’t likely to work wonders either.

Rogan’s interview with Trump proved just how powerful an unscripted conversation can be in these final days, and his respect for Vance—who he’s praised as a “sensible” Ohio Senator—is another reason the interview could be pivotal. Harris could be reaching Rogan’s audience too, but as her team already knows, that would mean risking an authentic exchange that might expose her to tough questions on the economy, crime, or Biden’s gaffes. And that’s a chance they’re just not willing to take.

Vance is willing to reach voters wherever they are—an authentic conversation with America’s top podcaster. Meanwhile, Harris is sticking to the safe script and the same talking points. So, with Vance on Rogan’s platform and Harris delivering scripted lines from her teleprompter, it’s not hard to see which side’s taking risks and making an impression.