JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
When President Trump was campaigning for reelection, he went on a handful of popular podcasts. This was part of a strategy to appeal to young voters. And the president ultimately made gains with this group, especially with young men. But now some of those same podcasters who backed him last year have grown frustrated, particularly over the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. So what does that shift in tone mean for the president, ultimately? Here to explain more about it is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Hi.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey.
SUMMERS: So Elena, I know that you have been tuning in. You've been listening to lots and lots of minutes of these shows. Help us understand all of this. Which podcasters have been the most vocal?
MOORE: Well, let's start with probably the most famous example, and that's Joe Rogan. He had Trump on the show right before the election and ultimately endorsed him, which was pretty notable given that Rogan has been open about the fact that he's previously supported some Democrats. Despite that, you know, Rogan has been critical of Trump on the Epstein issue, saying things like officials didn't keep their word to make more information about the disgraced financier and sex offender public. He's brought it up in several recent episodes. Take a listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE")
JOE ROGAN: People are cynical because you had all this hope for change. And then you realize, like, oh, the same people that are pulling the strings are still pulling the strings.
MOORE: Also, Juana, it's worth noting that Rogan's podcast isn't focused on politics. He verily has people on, and they talk about everything. But he has been frank about his skepticism towards politicians and institutions. And I think we can argue that that has resonated. You know, Rogan's show is the top podcast in the country, according to the audience-tracking firm Edison. And other podcasters have adopted a similar format and discussed similar themes.
SUMMERS: Interesting. OK, let's talk about some of these other podcasters. You've made the point that they share similar political outlooks. What have they been saying?
MOORE: Well, comedians Theo Von and Andrew Schulz both supported Trump and have been vocal on this. They also host popular podcasts and during the campaign, Trump was a guest. But now, you know, Von has repeatedly called out Republican lawmakers on X, urging them to make more Epstein-related information public. And Schulz has gotten really fired up about this in some of his recent episodes. Here he is.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FLAGRANT")
ANDREW SCHULZ: If I wanted to vote for somebody that was going to keep the Epstein files under wrap...
UNIDENTIFIED PODCASTER: Yeah.
SCHULZ: ...That was going to extend the foreign wars and was going to increase the budget, I would have voted for Kamala.
MOORE: And so you hear him there going past just Epstein. You know, there's a deeper disappointment he has with Trump and Republicans.
SUMMERS: Elena, the three hosts that you've brought up here, they all have massive audiences, but they don't necessarily represent an entire generation.
MOORE: Yeah.
SUMMERS: So why is it so notable for us to understand and unpack what they are saying about this issue?
MOORE: Well, they speak to an audience that politicians desperately want to reach. According to Edison, more than 7 in 10 listeners are men and the vast majority are under 45. They also don't overwhelmingly align with a major political party. And when combining shares of listeners who say they're a Democrat or an independent, it's the majority of the audience. So it's a good reminder that this isn't a hardcore MAGA audience.
SUMMERS: I mean, the Jeffrey Epstein issue does seem to loom large. Is that the issue that's going to change that support?
MOORE: I don't think it's that simple. You know, I talked to Eric Wilson about this. He's a Republican digital strategist. He said it's unlikely this is going to drive votes, but it could hurt enthusiasm down the line.
ERIC WILSON: Do people get discouraged and this time they're going to sit it out because they just don't feel like their vote was listened to or mattered last time?
SUMMERS: Really interesting reporting. Elena, tell us, what are you going to be watching moving forward?
MOORE: Well, a lot of the criticism that's been brought up about Epstein here has been directed towards Trump officials instead of the president himself. So I'll be curious to see if that changes and if it affects Trump's approval with this generation. Also, it's just unclear how long this story will stay a priority for people. We know it's a topic in Washington, but time moves very fast on the internet. And, of course, there's still more than a year until the midterms, and that's a lot of podcast episodes.
SUMMERS: Don't we know it? That is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Thanks.
MOORE: Thanks, Juana. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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