According to a new analysis conducted for Newsweek, former President Donald Trump appears to have won over swing voters following his interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. The Republican presidential candidate’s shift in tone resonated positively with many in this group, as indicated by Impact Social’s exclusive analysis of 40,000 respondents. Since the tracker was initiated in June 2020, during the last presidential election campaign, Trump had not achieved a net-positive score until his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.
“Trump presented himself in a way seldom seen on the campaign trail,” Phil Snape of Impact Social wrote. “Rather than ranting and railing, playing the victim and aggressor, Trump adopted a more conciliatory tone. This went down very well with many swing voters who spoke of Trump in a way we have never seen before.” The tracker indicated that Trump has a 16 percent positive rating compared to a 13 percent negative score, with 71 percent of respondents holding a neutral view of him.
During the interview, Trump expressed his regrets from his first term in the White House, proposed policy ideas such as eliminating income tax, and reiterated debunked claims regarding the 2020 election results. Analyzing online reactions from swing voters, Impact Social found that many perceived Trump as “thoughtful” and “wise” during his discussion with Rogan, who challenged him on his claims regarding the stolen election.
Snape noted that the three-hour conversation benefited Trump’s campaign by demonstrating his stamina ahead of a rally in Michigan on the same day. “In addition, many independents thought the interview would remind voters of the reluctance of Kamala Harris to even sit down with the likes of Joe Rogan,” he wrote. The vice president’s team was reportedly in negotiations with Rogan for an appearance, but scheduling conflicts as Election Day approached interfered. Harris has previously appeared on podcasts such as Call Her Daddy and All the Smoke, as well as on radio shows hosted by Howard Stern and Charlamagne tha God.
Rogan’s show is the most-watched podcast globally, boasting 14.5 million followers on Spotify and 17.5 million subscribers on YouTube. The episode featuring Trump garnered over 37 million views on YouTube as of this writing. Those who leaned more left in Impact Social’s analysis did not seem as impressed with Trump, viewing him as rambling and incoherent while still attempting to defend his record. Snape noted that despite this, the positive shift for Trump—who has trailed Harris in some positivity rankings in recent weeks—could not be overlooked.
“One is left wondering how much better Trump might be faring had he adopted this more thoughtful, presidential style rather than the more aggressive, reactionary approach with which we are more familiar?” Snape said. “And might Trump be tempted to adopt a similar persona for the remainder of the campaign? Fast forward 24 hours to a rally in New York City, and we quickly found our answer as The Donald morphed back into the Trump of old.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.