Democratic U.S. senate hopeful says her party nixing Rogan interview is why people are ‘turning against’ it
One of the Democratic Party’s up-and-comers is telling her colleagues what they can do to stem their bleeding support.
Democratic Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow told Politico in a new interview this week that the party needs to occupy prominent cultural spaces like Joe Rogan’s podcast to reach voters. She noted that snubbing these opportunities because of political differences contributes to the impression that the party is "elitist."
"Instead of snubbing your nose at those people, which is the perception that a lot of people have of Democrats, is that we’re elitist and we’re academic, and we look down on people who don’t watch traditional Hollywood movies or engage in mainstream media — that’s the perception, and that’s why people are turning against Democrats," McMorrow said.
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Politico portrayed the "Rising Democratic Star" – who is reportedly prepping a run for U.S. Senate in Michigan in 2026 – as someone who can bring a fresh perspective to a Democratic Party that is struggling following its electoral defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump.
The Democratic Party is currently suffering some of its worst polling in decades. According to national polls from CNN and NBC News published earlier this month, just 29% and 27% of respondents, respectively, say they view the party favorably. These represent the lowest approval numbers for the party surveyed by those outlets since the early '90s.
McMorrow first gained notoriety in 2022 after a clip went viral of her impassioned rebuttal to a Republican colleague went viral on the floor of the Michigan State Senate after that colleague accused her of "grooming and sexualizing children" because of her opposition to a parental rights bill.
One of the suggestions McMorrow gave was that the party needs to convey "authenticity" and do that by meeting people "everywhere."
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"Democrats have to start being unafraid to go everywhere and meeting people where they are," she said while mentioning "The Joe Rogan Experience." Former Vice President Kamala Harris famously missed an opportunity to go on Rogan’s show just before the election.
The Harris team reportedly maintained that bad timing during the height of her campaign season sunk the interview, while Rogan has insisted he gave Harris ample opportunity to fit in a sit-down.
Either way, McMorrow said not going on programs like Rogan contributes to the impression that the Democratic Party is above ordinary people who watch the popular podcast.
"You have to be willing to go into spaces that may feel a little bit uncomfortable, and be willing to have maybe three-hour long podcast conversations, or go into a dive bar or go into a bowling alley," she said.
"People have really good bull---- detectors. They can tell when you’re giving talking points and you’re trying to be buttoned up," she said. "And this is a moment where I think people want to vote for people that they like and people that they trust, and they’re not going to like you or trust you if they don’t feel like they know who you are, and that’s much bigger than just your job or your title."