Donald Trump has a different strategy. While Kamala Harris is refusing to give interviews, Donald Trump takes a more open approach. Former president Donald Trump has appeared on podcasts and streaming services as part of his strategy to reach out to new voters.
The idea has merit. Why would Republicans want to spend their time speaking to people who are against them and will use any utterance they make during an interview to try to defeat them? What makes CNN more deserving of a sit down than someone who has a podcast which (in some cases), reaches millions of people more?
This brings me to Trump’s recent interview with comedian Theo Von. It’s simply incredible content. In one hilarious clip, for example, the former President counsels Von about his drug and drink use.
VON: I’d rather just take cocaine.
TRUMP: Whoa
VON: Oh, yeah, nah…
TRUMP: Isn’t that a dirty word?
VON: Oh, this is…
TRUMP: You don’t want to?
VON: I don’t like it, man. I’m done with it.
The TRUMP question: How much is too much?
VON: This stuff also started to rattle. I don’t even know where it came from, but it made me feel like a mechanic.
TRUMP: The thing that you tend to return to most is alcohol.
VON: Okay, I’m sure I’d like to have some cocaine. But I know that drinking will give me the energy I need. It’ll be like, “Okay I drank a little, now I’m ready.”
TRUMP: Is cocaine a stronger up?
VON: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
TRUMP: You’re more addicted to cocaine than anything else.
VON: Cocaine is going to turn you into an owl. Do you understand what I mean? You’ll be on your porch. You’ll become your streetlight. You’re freakin…
TRUMP: Is that a feeling of goodwill while …?
VON: No, horrible.
TRUMP: I feel miserable.
VON: You do it, but you still say the same thing as the guy who said the same thing with the scotch.
Was there any policy on that? It was not about policy but served another purpose. At this point, I don’t believe there is much confusion about what Trump will do (or what he has said he will do) if he becomes president. But that’s not what’s stopping the former president from winning the White House. His biggest problem is the Democrat attacks which seek to dehumanize Trump. These attacks have, to some degree, worked over the years to reduce Trump’s positives and make him appear as a cartoonishly bad figure.
By sitting down with Von, and discussing substance abuse amusingly, you humanize the former president. This reminds them that he is not “literally Hitler.” It’s not a replacement for a policy-centered election, which is important. But letting Trump interact with people on a more personal level can help soften the blow of the attacks. The hysterical claims about fascism and democracy ending are now a joke.
There was, of course, a small amount of policy discussion.
Trump should continue to do this, but mix it with serious interviews. Trump’s election is not going to be won by a single thing. The winning strategy will be a combination of several things. You can do town halls, interviews, rallies, and diner appearances. The DNC is coming to an end later this week. It’s time to go barnstorming. Making people laugh never hurts anyone.
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