In a extremely anticipated interview, Donald Trump touched on a variety of cultural and political points Friday night time in an three-hour dialog with Joe Rogan, who hosts one of many greatest podcasts on this planet. 

The recording went on so lengthy that Trump arrived a number of hours late to his rally that night time in Traverse Metropolis, Mich. Annoyed at having to attend so lengthy, many individuals left.

The Rogan interview is a continuation of Trump turning to nontraditional media retailers, together with podcasts, within the weeks main as much as Election Day. Rogan additionally invited Vice President Kamala Harris to do an interview, however her marketing campaign has declined. Rogan’s podcast has greater than 17 million YouTube subscribers. 

A lot of the interview, which put on-line round 10 p.m. Friday night time, was rehashed commentary Trump has expressed all through the marketing campaign.

He stated the conflict in Ukraine would by no means have occurred if he had been president, complained about moderators not fact-checking Vice President Kamala Harris sufficient throughout her one debate with Trump, blasted the normal media, did issues like proceed to border Harris and Democrats as extra harmful than international foes and dabbled in conspiratorial speak concerning the 2020 election being stolen.

Rogan at one level requested Trump to offer examples of how the 2020 election was stolen, as he has lengthy falsely claimed. Trump gave a largely rambling reply that touched on election legislation adjustments that he stated didn’t get correct legislative approval. 

“They had been speculated to get legislative approval to do the issues they did, and so they didn’t get it,” Trump stated, referencing adjustments that made it simpler to vote through the top of the pandemic.  

Trump, who’s working for his second White Home time period and wouldn’t be capable to run for a 3rd time period if he wins, stated it will be his final election “if I win.” He was noncommittal on whether or not he would run once more if he loses.

“If I win, that’ll be, this shall be my final election,” he stated. “However I believe I owe it to the nation. We’ve to have truthful elections.”

Trump has made baseless claims concerning the 2020 election being stolen a key a part of the marketing campaign’s message via the 2024 election, though he admitted in September that he misplaced the race to President Joe Biden by a “whisker.”  

Trump’s marketing campaign rhetoric has more and more grown hostile within the closing weeks of the election, with threats to do issues like jail his political opponents and strip broadcast licenses from media organizations he opposes turning into extra common subjects at marketing campaign rallies. 

It has led his opponents to forged Trump as somebody who has dictatorial instincts, one thing highlighted over the previous week when his former chief of workers John Kelly instructed the The New York Instances that Trump suits the definition of a fascist. 

“I used to be truly the alternative of a dictator,” Trump stated Friday, defending himself. “I used to be a really straight man.

Trump additionally instructed Rogan that he has realized rather a lot about UFOs.

“There is not any motive to not assume that Mars and all these planets don’t have life.” Rogan rapidly corrected him about life on Mars.

“Mars, we’ve had probes there and rovers, and I don’t assume there’s any life there,” Rogan stated.

“Possibly it’s life that we don’t know,” Trump responded.

Rogan at one level additionally appeared to attempt to catch Trump from praising accomplice common Robert E. Lee, whom Trump has talked fondly of previously. With out specifics, Trump stated that generals he talks to assume Lee was a “genius.” At that time, Rogan chimed in asking Trump to make clear that he solely meant “strategically,” which Trump concurred. 

Later within the interview, Rogan appeared to foreshadow the truth that Trump’s Lee remark might get him criticized.

“Donald Trump needs the South received,” Rogan stated, mimicking what he thought the criticism may sound like. 

“The Joe Rogan Expertise,” which launched in 2009, is of 1 the preferred podcasts in the USA, significantly amongst younger males.

The episodes, that are normally hours-long, characteristic a big selection of visitors from numerous industries, together with leisure, sports activities, tech and politics.

Rogan, a former slapstick comedian and host of “Worry Issue,” has constructed a sturdy following as an unlikely political pundit. However his reputation has been coupled with years of mounting criticism — the host has confronted accusations that he had unfold Covid misinformation, used a racial slur and made antisemitic feedback on his present. 

Whereas he has not shied away from political subjects, Rogan has not issued any official endorsements this election cycle.

In August, Rogan stated on his podcast that he was a fan of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however later clarified in a publish on X that he wasn’t endorsing the then-independent candidate. Kennedy Jr. later dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris had additionally been in talks to do an interview with Rogan nevertheless it didn’t pan out. Ian Sams, a spokesman for her marketing campaign, instructed MSNBC on Thursday, “We talked with Rogan and his staff concerning the podcast, sadly, it isn’t going to work out proper now due to the scheduling of this era of the marketing campaign.”

Trump, who’s notably not often called a humble individual, appeared to acknowledge the significance of being on Rogan’s podcast, at one level referring to himself as “a pupil of yours.”

On the setting, Trump stated that environmental rules are “the largest instrument to stopping progress,” and continued to assault his long-running nemesis, the windmill, for what he stated is its dangerous affect on wildlife. On this case, Trump stated he was nervous concerning the affect of windmills on whales.

“I need to be a whale psychiatrist,” he stated. “It drives the whales freaking loopy if one thing occurs with them, however they’re getting washed up and but the environmentalists they don’t discuss, proper?”

He additionally continued to personally assault Harris, calling her “not good” and framing her as a much bigger risk to the nation than even international advisories.

“If she turns into the president of the USA, which I can’t imagine can occur,” Trump stated. “I don’t assume this nation goes to make it.”

Trump has more and more referred to as Harris “silly” and through a Thursday night time rally in Las Vegas, he stated her insurance policies would “kill 1000’s of individuals.”

But on Friday, Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued a letter calling on Harris to tone down the rhetoric. They argued that Trump might face a 3rd assassination try as the results of heated marketing campaign speak. 

“Labeling a political opponent as a ‘fascist,’ dangers inviting one more would-be murderer to attempt robbing voters of their selection earlier than election day,” the 2 wrote.

The letter didn’t point out that Trump has utilized that time period to Harris on a number of events.

Because the third hour of the interview approached, Trump stated he realized he wanted to get to a scheduled rally in Michigan, which he was late for due to the size of the Rogan interview.

“I’ve acquired to go make a fantastic speech,” Trump stated. “And If I’m a bit of off tonight, I’m going accountable you.”