If Democrats Aren’t Cowards They’d Put Kamala Harris On Theo Von’s Podcast

Screenshot via This Past Weekend

If Kamala Harris’s campaign weren’t so scared of uncontrolled media, the vice president and her running mate Tim Walz would be yucking it up with comedians like Theo Von and reaping the rewards. Instead, out of a foolish kind of insular thinking, they’ve left that lane wide open to former President Donald Trump .

Recently, Trump appeared on Von’s This Past Weekend podcast in an episode that has soared past 10 million views in just a few days. Von is not the traditional choice to interview a former president/presidential candidate, but that’s exactly why the interview was a win for Trump. You don’t get the sort of deep-dive policy talk you’d see on more serious programs, but a clip of Trump listening earnestly as he learns about cocaine from a comedian is gold. It’s relatable, especially for a candidate like Trump, who by now has developed such a dead-eyed focus on a handful of losing topics like election fraud conspiracy theories. Trust me, people would rather hear about cocaine at this point.

Trump also had the opportunity to weigh in on personal subjects like his late brother Fred Trump Jr. and his addiction issues. Love him or hate him, the interview was humanizing.

Harris is a perfect fit for Von’s podcast, which takes the format of a laid-back hang and story swap with the comedian. Hard questions are not a risk. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) appeared on a recent episode of This Past Weekend where he talked plenty of politics, but Von kept things friendly and personal, showing a side to the senator people typically don’t see.

A Von-Harris interview would be low risk-high reward for the Democrats. It would reach an audience that is skeptical of Harris and the authenticity of her campaign. Crucially, such an interview presents a roundabout way to speak to an audience she’ll never find on CNN: the Joe Rogan crowd . Rogan was an early promoter of Von, who is a frequent guest on Rogan’s massively popular podcast. Von’s show is far less political, but there is a cross-section of people there that Harris would likely have no other way of directly speaking to.

One suspects she would also get along well with Von, producing — like the Trump interview — a trove of viral social media moments. The problem for the Harris campaign is they’ve kept her insulated not just from the traditional news media, but also have limited her appearances to friendly social media personalities with audiences who already support Democrats. Preaching to the choir may be good for turnout but it hardly wins elections.

If we’re talking popular shows most everyone at least knows through social media clips, Walz should be as out there as well. For the governor, we prescribe Hot Ones , the YouTube interview show where celebrities eat chicken wings covered with increasingly fiery hot sauces and face questions from host Sean Evans . Walz is a high school football coach from Minnesota who is famously (so he says) averse to spice. Like Harris on Von, Walz on Evans would undoubtedly be a boost for the campaign.

To be clear, I’m not arguing for Harris and Walz to engage with these kinds of interviews instead of facing journalists. Harris has foolishly avoided sitting for an interview with the press or holding a single press conference since ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket, which has been a mistake and created a narrative she’s scared of tough questions. Finally, it was announced this week that Harris will give her first interview with CNN on Thursday. It will be a joint sit-down with Walz and CNN’s Dana Bash .

It’s important for Harris to make appearances like this to clear up her policy positions. Yet the occasional media hit with a major network in between weeks of silence will not cut it, especially if Trump continues with interviews similar to the Von chat. These are no brainer interviews where even if a topic comes up they’re uncomfortable with, Harris and Walz are not exactly going to face a grilling. Von and Evans are hosts whose shows are not focused on politics. They want their guests to be comfortable and happy, and they’re not looking for a viral clip of some heated back and forth. In other words: easy wins.

That’s what Walz on Hot Ones is. That’s what Harris on Von’s podcast is. Trump knows this and that’s why millions are consuming clips of him talking cocaine and getting personal about family, while a different kind of viewer will tune into Harris’s big CNN interview. A savvy media strategy for the Harris campaign would embrace both audiences — she’ll need them to win in November.