Kamala Harris’ campaign suffered a setback when popular internet show ‘Hot Ones’ declined her interview request ahead of the US presidential election. According to the New York Post, the show, which has aired for nearly a decade, has never hosted a political candidate.
The show’s refusal to interview Harris was due to his non-political stance, as discussed by the Harris campaign team on a recent episode of the liberal-leaning Pod Save America podcast.
The debate, which included campaign heavyweights such as chairwoman Jane O’Malley Dillon and advisers David Plouffe and Quentin Fulks, highlighted the challenges Harris faced in reaching a mainstream, non-political platform.
Stephanie Cutter, who managed media strategy for Harris, explained that the ‘Hot Ones’, known for her celebrity interviews while eating increasingly spicy chicken wings, rejected the approach because of her policy of avoiding political figures. “They didn’t want to do any politics, so they weren’t going to take us or [Trump]This reaction, she said, was common from non-political media outlets.
However, President-elect Donald Trump has teamed up with various popular shows, tapping into cultural spaces Harris has struggled to access.
Trump has appeared on major platforms such as ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, comedian Theo Vaughan’s ‘This Past Weekend’ and Barstool Sports’ ‘Bussin’ with the Boys’. His presence has extended to internet live streams, including a session with streamer and YouTuber Edin Ross.
Harris’ team also shared issues with ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’. Rogan invited Harrison to his studio, but was asked by the campaign to travel for a short interview, which Rogan declined. David Plouffe claimed he was open to fulfilling Rogan’s terms but hinted that the show would have prioritized Trump’s appearance.
While Trump used this platform to reach a wider audience, Harris’s campaign struggled to connect culturally, which contributed to his eventual loss.
