Racist joke against Puerto Rico torpedoes Trump’s strategy with influencers

It was a six-hour rally brimming with masculine energy. The morning after Donald Trump’s big MAGA fest at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG), one comment is still causing a stir on the internet. It was a racist joke about Puerto Rico by Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and host of Kill Tony, a popular podcast broadcast live from Texas where irreverent and even offensive humor is commonplace. Hinchcliffe is one of the most successful exponents of this genre, which he displayed as master of ceremonies at Tom Brady’s roast last May. MSG is no stranger to Hinchcliffe. He recently filled it for two nights with his show. But his participation in Sunday’s rally was different. It was part of the Republican candidate’s campaign strategy to court young male voters, a key sector of Trump’s electorate and one of the groups with the largest number of undecided voters with a week to go until the election. The comedian’s joke sparked a storm of criticism at the rally and prompted a Republican spokeswoman to say it “does not reflect the views” of the former president or his campaign.

Trump sent congratulations in his speech to Barron, his youngest son, who turned 18 and was not present at the stadium where the New York Knicks play. “He’s at home watching us. He’s the king of the internet,” said the former president. The Republican has stated that Barron has served as a guide as to which podcasts he should turn to in the current campaign. Unlike the 2016 and 2020 contests, Trump has bet heavily on these broadcasts, which have a huge audience among Americans, and especially among the male public. Harris has also occupied these spaces, but to a much lesser extent than her rival. Her interview with Alex Cooper for Call Her Daddy stands out, a podcast with a predominantly female audience. Abortion was the main topic covered.

Last Friday, Trump arrived three hours late to a rally in Michigan, one of the swing states in the 2024 election. The Republican candidate prioritized an interview with Joe Rogan, the king of podcasting in the United States for the past 15 years. Rogan, a stand-up comedian who champions the anti-woke crusade, had been debating whether or not to interview Trump. Harris’s strategists met with Rogan’s team in mid-October to negotiate a meeting, but it has not been confirmed. Four years ago, the host supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries, whom he interviewed then. This year he was leaning more towards the libertarian Robert F. Kennedy, who left the Democratic Party to launch a non-partisan presidential race. In August, Kennedy threw in the towel and joined Trump’s campaign.

Rogan, a host for the UFC, the mixed martial arts league where Trump also has a lot of traction, has 2.9 million followers on Instagram and 17.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Another 14.5 million are subscribed to his Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify, which offered him an exclusive contract to distribute it. The influential opinionist has previously shared his doubts about whether he should offer his microphone to Trump. “I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once, I’ve said ‘no’ every time. I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him. I am not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form,” Rogan told Lex Fridman, another popular podcast host, in June 2022.

This year, however, Trump has sat down with both Rogan and Fridman, a Tajik-born computer scientist turned star online interviewer. They are just two names in a long list of influencers who have given the candidate a forum to court younger listeners. According to the most recent New York Times/Siena poll, voters between the ages of 18 and 29 are the least convinced about voting on November 5. Seventy-four percent say they will definitely turn out, 9% percent fewer than voters in the next age group (30-44). Harris remains ahead in this group with a 20-point lead over Trump (36% to 16%). The Republican, however, has an advantage among men (23% to 19%) in undecided voters.

Podcasts offer Trump a prime opportunity to get his message across without being questioned by traditional media journalists or subjected to fact-checking. CNN said Sunday that Trump made at least 32 false or misleading claims in the three-hour conversation with Rogan. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale has admitted that the number of inaccuracies is likely higher, but that he only did a cursory review of the conversation. Trump has preferred podcasts to regular news programs during the campaign: he canceled an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes earlier this month.

Trump enjoyed a viral moment in August thanks to his conversation with Theo Von, a comedian in the Rogan and Hinchcliffe circle who is raising his profile based on his southern U.S. identity. In a clip that took over social media during the summer, the candidate is seen eagerly questioning Von, a recovered addict, about his cocaine addiction. “So you’re way up with cocaine more than anything else you can think of?” Trump asks him. “Oh, yeah, cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie,” the comedian replies. The original question was about the Sackler family and their role in the opioid crisis that has caused tens of thousands of deaths in the United States, but no one appeared concerned about steering the conversation back.

In other conversations, the Republican has been the target of mockery. Invited by comedian Andrew Schulz to his Flagrant podcast, Trump attacked Harris for her changes of opinion on some of the main campaign issues. “I think I am a person who mostly speaks the truth…” said Trump. His host could not help laughing in the candidate’s face. When the program had been running for about an hour, Alex Bruesewitz, one of Trump’s communication strategy advisors on social networks, asked them to finish. But Trump was having a great time and asked to continue a little longer. “I asked Alex. He’s an influencer: Who is the biggest of all the influencers? ‘That’s the easiest question you’ve ever asked me. You, sir.’ I had never thought of that,” said Trump. The candidate dedicated 90 minutes to the broadcast. The program has garnered nearly seven million listens.

It remains to be seen whether the campaign will change its strategy after the Hinchcliffe fiasco in New York, which has unleashed a barrage of criticism from Puerto Rican politicians and celebrities in favor of Harris. For now, Trump’s team is sticking to its bet on using young male comedians to strengthen its base.

The Nelk Boys released a video last week for their eight million YouTube subscribers. The members of this young group have cultivated a huge following of people aged under 30 thanks to their hidden-camera pranks and their podcast, Full Send. They have also gained popularity due to their conservative political beliefs and have been a constant presence in Trump’s campaign for the past four years. This year, they were at the Republican Convention in Wisconsin and a few days ago, they were aboard Trump’s private plane on a trip to Las Vegas. “I’m with your favorites, the Nelk Boys,” Trump tells UFC president Dana White over the phone. “They’re the modern Johnny Carsons.”

The group of comedians went viral for a clip in which they destroy a huge television broadcasting Harris’s acceptance speech as the Democratic candidate. “Kamala will never be my president,” says one. Trump has used podcasts as a megaphone to reach the youngest voters. In the coming days, we will know if these voters bought his message.

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