Theo Von’s interview with Donald Trump makes more sense than you think

Cocaine, UFC, politics, and the former president’s podcast bro tour, explained. vox.com/culture CULTURE   Former President Donald Trump has done some strange interviews, but probably one of the strangest was his recent sit-down with comedian and YouTuber Theo Von. As my colleague [Aja Romano explains](, Von doesn’t usually talk about politics on his show — though he did also recently interview Bernie Sanders — and his conversation with his very political, controversial guest made waves for how, well, unsettling much of the discussion was, including a moment where Trump asked Von what using cocaine was like. Trump’s appearance on the show is part of an emerging pattern. The former president has recently done interviews with several personalities who are edgy, contrarian, and vaguely manosphere-adjacent, including streamer Adin Ross, the [Nelk Boys](, and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The Trump campaign desperately wants to court young men, even if it means talking about cocaine. —[Whizy Kim](, senior editor P.S. Sign up for Kids Today, a new weekly newsletter from[Anna North](. It’s not just for parents, nor is it a parenting newsletter. It's for anyone who wants to know more about Gen Alpha and American childhood. Theo Von’s interview with Donald Trump makes more sense than you think [Theo Von in a backward ballcap, sitting next toJared Leto and David Spade, at a UFC event in Las Vegas, Nevada]( Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Even among a long list of bizarre Donald Trump moments, this clip was a head-turner: The former president asking his interviewer a series of questions about his cocaine use. “That’s down and dirty, isn’t it?” Trump asked Theo Von, who interviewed him on August 20 for his YouTube podcast, This Past Weekend. The clip went viral almost immediately, not only because it’s rare to hear a presidential candidate so openly discussing drug usage, but because Trump, for once, seemed genuinely interested in a conversation that wasn’t about himself. It was also a strange “...who?” moment for those unfamiliar with Von, a mulleted stand-up comedian turned podcaster, in the style of Joe Rogan. Digital media has responded with a series of Theo Von explainers, attempting to convey what about the relatively unobtrusive comic may have caught Trump’s attention. But in fact, there really isn’t that much to explain — at least not about Von himself. [The shifts in internet culture that brought him his platform, though, are a bit more interesting.]( Von — his full name is Theodor von Kurnatowski — is something of a one-size-fits-all commentator, one whose personal political beliefs seem anodyne enough to make him palatable to people across the political spectrum; he interviewed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) the week just prior. With Trump, Von stuck mainly to the personal (mutual friends from the world of UFC, Kid Rock’s brother’s golf swing, sobriety, how good the Trump boys are at hunting) before getting lightly political (they briefly discussed health care reform but mostly talked about how much they hate lobbyists). The interview’s big viral conversation about cocaine came when Von tried in vain to get Trump to talk policy regarding the opioid epidemic. [The subsequent chat about doing drugs]( was Trump redirecting the subject, but it was much more aligned with Von’s typical podcast conversations, which normally veer away from more incendiary subjects and toward topics like wrangling drunk mall Santas. [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The essential Lord of the Rings lore you need to watch The Rings of Power The second season of the series has huge news for fans of Tom Bombadil. [Read the full story »]( The difference between American and UK Love Is Blind The pods across the pond feel a lot less toxic. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [Your guide to the confusing, exciting, and utterly new world of Gen Alpha]( - [The surprisingly subdued resurrection of Abercrombie & Fitch]( - [Why I changed my mind about volunteering]( - [All the nonsense you need to know about Sabrina Carpenter]( - [Here’s what you need to know about the revamped FAFSA](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.