Former President Donald Trump is not shying away from sit-down interviews, though he is not heading into the green rooms of mainstream outlets.
The former president followed up his X Spaces appearance with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and a Kick stream with internet personality Adin Ross by appearing on what is reportedly Barron Trump’s favorite podcast for a conversation with comedian Theo Von.
To circumvent negative national press coverage, Trump has appeared on multiple alternative media platforms to reach audiences directly, especially younger voters. In his latest appearance, he spoke on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von.
The former president said his youngest son is “a big fan of the podcast. … He knows you very well, he said, ‘Dad, he’s big.'”
Trump used the appearance to try to humanize himself, veering away from politics and his campaign at times to touch on his family. He gave some insight into his only child with his wife Melania Trump, praising Barron Trump as both intelligent and a great athlete.
“He plays golf, soccer — he is very good at soccer,” he said. “He is a good athlete, Barron.
“He’s getting set to go in the fall,” the former president continued. “A good college. He’s smart — smart guy. He was always a very good student, smart, he’s a smart guy.”
The two also discussed Trump’s teetotaling — the former president talked about how the experience with his alcoholic brother, Fred Trump, affected him enough to never touch drugs or alcohol.
“I had a great brother who taught me a lesson: Don’t drink, don’t drink,” he said. “And he said, ‘Don’t smoke’ — he smoked and he drank. And he was a great guy, he was a handsome, very handsome guy.
“He had a problem with alcohol and smoked a lot,” Trump continued. “You know I tell people: No drugs, no drinking, no cigarettes. I tell that to my kids all the time.”
Von touched on his past struggles with alcohol and drugs, describing the effects of cocaine to Trump.
“Cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie,” Von said. “You’ll be your own streetlamp. It’s a miserable feeling, but you do it anyway.”
The interview was the latest round in the former president’s alternative media blitz. His conversation with Ross, another favorite of Barron Trump’s, was a 90-minute stream that 500,000 people watched live, with another 100 million listening after, according to Trump.
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Barron Trump also got his father to give an interview to influencer Logan Paul, where he touched on pop culture topics such as the “big rap beef” between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has responded with its own social media push, with several influencers speaking at the Democratic National Convention.