Donald Trump has just clinched the 2024 presidential election in a stunning victory. With 312 electoral college votes, he surged well past the 270 needed to secure the presidency. Many are asking: How did this even happen?
All the polls predicted a close race, with Kamala Harris having a slight edge. At one point, Harris's public image was rated even higher than that of Trump. The Democrats outspent the Republicans by a factor of 3:1 and were backed by major media news stations, except for Fox News and the New York Post. Despite these advantages, the final tally tells an even bigger story—a red wave.
So, how did Trump flip the script from 2020 and convince the majority of Americans to vote for him? By sounding American.
Trump's campaign took a novel approach by tapping into the power of podcasts and social media. He appeared on popular shows such as
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- Six Feet Under
- Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh
- Bussin' With The Boys
- This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
- Lex Fridman Podcast
- FULL SEND PODCAST
- Impaulsive with Logan Paul
- All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
...and more. Forbes has the full list.
When you combine the reach from all these podcasts, you're connecting with hundreds of millions of Americans. Even better, you're reaching them in an authentic, unfiltered way that resonates with the American spirit.
For the Harris campaign, they relied on old-school media play. It was very polished, very scripted. But in today's world, no one wants to hear a robot regurgitating the usual five points on why they should vote for someone. No. This is 2024. Everyone has a supercomputer in their pocket to listen to podcasts, watch viral clips on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
At the end of the day, Americans vote with their hearts. When it's time to mark the ballot, they'll go with their gut. You can poll a million different ways, and the results will be the same. Ask someone on the phone, and they'll tell you that Trump is bad and Harris is a candidate who will bring stability to the country. But none of that matters. On election day, behind the booth, when it's just you, your conscience, and your vote, you'll go with your gut.
This marks a huge shift in PR strategy from traditional media to podcasts and other digital channels. My guess is that from here on out, future presidential candidates will be on all the major podcasts.
Podcasts are continuing to grow, and if you're looking to search for guest-friendly shows in your niche, using a comprehensive podcast database is essential. Tools like Podseeker can help you find the right podcasts to tell your story. Give us a try here.
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