The reason Kamala Harris balked at Joe Rogan interview

Kamala Harris campaign staffers were worried the Democrat would alienate her progressive base if she sat down for an interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, according to a new report.
The Financial Times quotes Jennifer Palmieri, a senior adviser to Harris’s husband, Douglas Emhoff, during the campaign, as the reason an interview never occurred despite last-minute efforts to make it happen. Palmieri spoke Wednesday at a conference.
“There was a backlash with some of our progressive staff that didn’t want her to be on it, and how there would be a backlash,” Palmieri said, per the report.
More from the Financial Times:
Palmieri also said news leaking that Harris was in talks to do Rogan’s show created a “very weird dynamic” with the podcaster. “Because all of a sudden he’s on his heels about how his audience is going to react to this, and the demands that they were going to put on him to be tough on her,” Palmieri said.
Rogan endorsed Donald Trump after the president-elect appeared on his podcast last month.
The podcaster is known for his hours-long interviews on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which is listed as No. 1 in the United States, according to Spotify’s charts.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Matt Arco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.