FALCON POWERS – Many supporters of Republican candidate Donald Trump left a rally in Michigan before his arrival after the former president kept them waiting for three hours to record a popular podcast interview. Those who stayed at the outdoor rally on the airport tarmac braved the cold on Friday night as they awaited the former president’s landing in the swing state, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Trump apologized to the crowd for the delay, blaming it on an interview with Joe Rogan, the nation’s most-listened-to podcast host and a figure who appeals strongly to younger male voters that Trump is actively courting.
The interview, recorded in Austin, Texas, aired on Friday night and lasted three hours, during which Trump recounted many familiar stories from his career and other interviews, while also engaging with Rogan on topics such as the existence of unidentified flying objects. He encouraged his supporters to stay.
Just minutes before the scheduled start of Trump’s rally in Michigan at 7:30 PM Eastern time, his spokesperson posted on social media platform X that Trump was just leaving Texas, more than two hours away by plane.
Trump recorded a video from his plane urging his supporters to stick around, noting it was Friday night and promising, “We’re going to have a great time tonight.”
Eventually, Trump took the stage at Traverse City Airport, where temperatures had dropped to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The crowd erupted in cheers as video screens displayed Trump’s plane arriving and him descending the stairs.
Trump’s interview with Rogan was part of the Republican candidate’s strategy to appear on audio programs targeting young male voters and to leverage alternatives that sometimes use coarse language.
