Trump to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast in latest outreach to young male voters

Former President Donald Trump will sit with Joe Rogan for a taping of his podcast in Austin, Texas, on Friday, according to two sources familiar with the planning.

Trump will visit Texas the same day Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to host a campaign rally in the state, in Houston.

"The Joe Rogan Experience" has for years ranked as one of the most popular podcasts in all of media, particularly among young men, who have been key targets of the Trump campaign.

For months, Trump has made outreach to male voters a priority, appearing on audience-aligned podcasts, with social media influencers, or at high-profile sporting events, like the male-dominated UFC mixed martial arts fights that Trump has attended alongside his friend Dana White. Earlier this month, the former president was slated to appear at a town hall hosted by Tony Robbins, a longtime self-help guru with over 7 million followers on Instagram, before Robbins postponed the event due to an incoming hurricane.

In an election being fought along narrow margins, Trump's campaign hopes that growing his support with male voters will help narrow the gap. Since 2020, his support amongst men — including Black and Hispanic men — has increased to a 16-point margin over Harris (56%-40%), according to the latest NBC poll. By contrast, women support Harris by a 14-point margin (55%-41%).

National polls show a deadlocked race.

Trump has done a number of interviews in recent weeks with other media figures popular among men, including Ben Shapiro, Adin Ross and Theo Vonn. He also appeared on Andrew Schulz's "Flagrant" podcast with Akaash Singh. On the day Trump held a rally at Coachella, the "Nelk Boys" rode along with the former president on his plane — and captured the visit for their millions of viewers.

Rogan and Trump have a complicated history. Though the "Fear Factor" host supported Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2020 primary, he also has praised Trump's presidency. In August, Rogan also said he was a "fan" of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then an independent presidential candidate, though he quickly clarified he wasn't endorsing him.

Of Kennedy Jr., Rogan said on X, "I really appreciate the way he discusses things with civility and intelligence," but that "I also think Trump raising his fist and saying “fight!” after getting shot is one of the most American f---ing things of all time." He added, "I’m not the guy to get political information from."

During his interview with the Nelk Boys, Trump called Rogan "a good guy" and hinted that he would appear on the podcast soon.

"The Joe Rogan Experience" has received criticism over the years amid accusations that Rogan had spread Covid misinformation, used a racial slur and made antisemitic comments.

Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify in 2020. In February, Rogan and Spotify inked a multi-year deal that would allow the podcast host to bring "The Joe Rogan Experience" to other audio platforms. According to Spotify, it is currently the platform's popular podcast.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com