"They voted for Donald trump" - Internet reacts as Kamala Harris' campaign reveals the Hot Ones rejected her interview request

The popular YouTube show Hot Ones reportedly declined a request to host Kamala Harris on the show. On Tuesday's, November 26, 2024, episode of Pod Save America, while discussing "What Went Wrong" during the 2024 elections, podcast host Dan Pfeiffer questioned Harris' campaign team members about missed media opportunities, elaborating:

"Hot Ones as an example. Like never in time has there been a candidate better suited for a podcast than Kamala Harris on Hot Ones."

Campaign staffer Stephanie Cutter explained why the particular interview didn't happen, saying:

"I think, if I remember correctly, on Hot Ones, that they didn’t wanna delve into politics."

As Cutter's comments went viral, internet users were quick to react. One suggested that the YouTube show's creators didn't invite Kamala Harris because they voted for her competitor.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @PopCrave)

Many commented that it was "weird" for politicians to go on a food podcast. Here are some comments seen under @PopCrave's post on X:

"american politics is so unserious when eating hot wings is a priority when trying to gain a position as a public servant," one commented.

"I can understand bc I bet it was going to be heavily prepped so he would prompt her to discuss policies and that’s not the vibe for that show," a user wrote.

"Maybe it's just me but it's kind of weird for a politician to want to go on a show like this and talk policies... Doesn't matter who it is tbh" another reacted.

Others called out the show on the missed opportunity.

"In the current political climate, I'm actually so disgusted when brands choose to be apolitical like this. I was turned off from my own job when they chose to take a similar, milquetoast approach. Like stand tf up. Stand for something. Now is not the time for this kinda sh*t," one person remarked.

"we could’ve had the best episode ever… maybe in four years..." a user commented.

"They didn’t want to lose any part of their conservative fanbase," another added.

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"We just weren’t able to find a date"- Stephanie Cutter on why Kamala Harris didn't appear on Joe Rogan's podcast

Tuesday's episode of Pod Save America featured Jen O'Malley Dillon, the Harris-Walz campaign chair, Quentin Fulks, deputy campaign manager, and senior advisors Stephanie Cutter and David Plouffe. They discussed Kamala's presidential run and what went wrong during the 2024 elections.

During a discussion, host Dan Pfeiffer noted that:

"It's my understanding that you guys wanted to do a bunch of the larger, more popular, not specifically political podcasts."

Referencing Hot Ones, Pfeiffer questioned why interviews with similar podcasts didn't happen. Cutter, who overlooked the media strategies, explained that it was because the YouTube show didn't want to "delve into politics."

For the uninitiated, Hot Ones is a talk show that features celebrities being interviewed by series co-creator and host Sean Evans as they eat chicken wings topped with increasingly spicy levels of sauce.

Cutter continued:

"They didn't want to do any politics, so they weren't going to take us or (Donald Trump)."

Stephanie elaborated that Kamala Harris "was willing" to get on and have a conversation with "just about" anybody "regardless of where they sat."

Pfeiffer also questioned why Kamala Harris didn't appear on the top-rated podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. Earlier this month, Rogan took to X to explain he wanted to interview the Democratic candidate, but the team insisted he travel to her and that it shouldn't be more than an hour. Cutter explained that:

"(Harris) was ready, willing to go on Joe Rogan. So, we had discussions with Joe Rogan’s team. They were great. They wanted us to come on. We wanted to come on. We tried to get a date to make it work, and ultimately we just weren’t able to find a date."

Cutter elaborated that it was a "very short race" and going to Houston (to tape the interview) was taking "a day off the playing field in the battleground (states)." She also added that the day Kamala Harris was in Houston, Rogan was shooting with Donald Trump that day. David Plouffe added:

"We offered to do it in Austin. People should know that. Didn’t work out. I think maybe they leveraged that to get Trump in studio. And then we were obviously not going to be back in Texas but offered to do it on the road."

Cutter added that appearing on Rogan's show would have cut down the media clutter surrounding their campaign. She ended the subject by saying Kamala Harris could maybe do the interview in the future.

Neither Rogan nor Harris have publicly reacted to the development.