In the last few weeks, former President Trump has appeared on numerous alternate media networks, reaching large audiences. Every interview was unscripted. Some were softball discussions (Dr. Phil), and others were probing (Lex Fridman). No matter what anyone thinks about how he answered, there is no doubt that Trump is in full command of his message. By delivering it exceptionally well for a 78-year-old, Trump draws a sharp contrast with Kamala Harris, and, of course, with Biden.
Alternate media has shaken the power of the established networks, and mainstream media outlets are going wild because their attempts to deliver the election for Harris are failing. Despite the positive coverage of Harris and wall-to-wall negative coverage of Trump, voters are not convinced that Harris is either authentic or prepared. Our recent TIPP poll is a devastating blow to the Vice President's presidential campaign.
Mainstream media outlets are also attempting to divide Republican support for Trump by releasing stories in a drip-drip fashion. First, there was a teaser in the NY Times that Liz Cheney would make her voice heard about the campaign. Most people went, Liz, who?
Two years ago, Cheney lost her primary reelection by more than 30 points to a relative unknown. She was ousted from elective politics, ending her career, because she took it upon herself to go after Trump.
Shortly after that, another Times story said that Liz Cheney would vote for Kamala Harris. It was Cheney's shameful way of remaining relevant in Washington, hoping that Harris would win and award her with a cabinet position. And then they paraded another story saying her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, would also vote for Harris. So, in the Times' wisdom, avowed Trump haters supporting Harris is news?
Meanwhile, interesting conversations are happening on new media outlets, informing voters better than any established newspaper or TV network. Consider the Lex Fridman interview of Trump.
Fridman is a gifted long-form podcast interviewer in the same mold as Joe Rogan but in a more dignified and professional environment (no cigars and drugs on the show). Always wearing a white shirt in a black suit in a darkened studio, Fridman hosts a diverse guest list, including scientists, engineers, philosophers, and public figures, and delves deep into technology, philosophy, and human experience. The highly intellectual nature of his interviews - Fridman is, after all, an artificial intelligence researcher known for his work in AI and autonomous vehicles, having worked with institutions like MIT - thoughtfully explores broader societal issues.
Trump appeared on Fridman's podcast on September 3, when Harris was either faking accents in front of Tel-e-prompters or appearing to be busy to avoid speaking to reporters. Fridman did not address his guest as President Trump or former President Trump. Demonstrating his neutrality (Fridman is an Independent), he introduced his guest as "Donald Trump."
For over an hour, Trump answered every question that Fridman had, including about the 2020 election. Trump was extraordinarily well disciplined, referring to fraud that took place that couldn't be proved in the courts. In a brilliant, practiced moment, Trump said that he got millions more votes than in 2016 and still "lost by a whisker." It was a rare moment when he admitted defeat and clearly intended to attract Independents like Fridman, who detest Harris's record.
Fridman's reach is astounding for a new media personality. The interview has been seen by over 4.6 million viewers on YouTube. It also appeared on Trump's X feed, where 29 million people saw it, and on Trump's Truth Social, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Most people don't listen to the same podcast on two different channels, so it is fair to assume that the sum of the reaches on each social media outlet equates roughly to the total number of unique individuals who heard the interview. We estimate that more than 50 million voters (including youngsters who dominate TikTok and Instagram and are first-time voters) watched the interview.
By comparison, the CNN Dana Bash multiple-choice softball interview of Harris-Walz drew just 6 million views. It was Harris's first-ever sit-down interview, and voters' interest was exceptionally high as CNN promoted the discussion around the clock after bagging the high-profile booking.
At a recent Fox News Townhall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, moderator Sean Hannity warned Trump that Harris, in the only debate with Trump on ABC News on September 10, could get under his skin and irritate him. Trump responded that such tricks would not shake him - and that he would let her speak in full without interrupting. He reminded viewers that by letting Biden speak in the Atlanta debate, he had practically ended Biden's career.
For all the negative qualities that liberal media and Never Trumpers portray about Trump, the heartland is moved by Trump's profile. It is this that has brought Trump, written off by the world as history, especially after J-6, to the cusp of claiming the presidency again, a feat not achieved since 1892. Only once has a president returned to win non-consecutive terms—Grover Cleveland, in 1892, after losing the electoral college in 1888 to Benjamin Harrison.
As a businessman who did not profit from his stay at the White House and did not even accept a dollar in compensation, Trump is viewed as not a career-politician, unlike Kamala Harris. Trump has already been President and Chief Executive, whereas Kamala has, at best, helped push through Biden's disastrous bills by casting tie-breaking votes in the Senate. Voters see that Harris has no real-world executive experience. Trump is brave, having practically risen from the dead miraculously, with his fist held high even as he bled profusely in his right ear, asking supporters to fight. Elections are also about policy positions - and here, Trump is more in tune with America on matters that impact voters the most: immigration, crime, the economy, and forever wars.
The following 60 days are crucial, and the September 10 debate will be remarkably high-stakes. In nearly all battleground polls, Harris is virtually tied with Trump within the margin of error, underperforming Biden in 2020 at this stage of the game.
While Harris could still pull it off (who knows what October surprise the universe has in store for us), as things stand today, it would be a miracle if Trump did not win in November.
ICYMI
Paul Bedard
