BBC :
About 15 minutes into Donald Trump’s conversation with comedian Theo Von, the chat veered into territory not usually heard in a stump speech.
“I had a great brother who taught me a lesson, don’t drink. Don’t drink, and don’t smoke,” the former president said. “I admired so much about him… And he had a problem with alcohol.”
“I’ve been in recovery for most of the past 10 years,” Von replied. “Drugs and alcohol.”
Trump seemed genuinely interested.
“Which is worse?” he asked. The pair went on to chat at length about addiction and the drugs industry.
Politics wasn’t entirely absent – within a few minutes Trump was back alluding to his grievances against the “deep state” and the voting system – but the friendly chat was a prime example of a larger campaign strategy.
Trump has done a series of interviews with podcasters and alternative media that together comprise a concerted effort to reach young men.
Although the tactic isn’t new – for months, stretching back to last year, Trump has been appearing on alternative, male-dominated media outlets with big audiences – it’s taken on a greater importance in the final stages of this election.
In August the Trump campaign told reporters that they are targeting a key group of voters that makes up just over a tenth of the electorate in swing states.
They’re mostly younger men, and mostly white, but the group includes more Latinos and Asian-Americans than the general population.
And they believe they can reach these often fickle voters by putting Trump on shows hosted by people like Von, internet pranksters Nelk Boys, YouTuber Logan Paul and Adin Ross, a livestreaming gamer who has repeatedly been banned from sites for violating rules on offensive language.
The Nelk Boys are reportedly spearheading a voter registration drive on behalf of Trump which they hope will reach like-minded audiences.
YouTuber and wrestler Logan Paul is one of the young male podcasters who had Trump on his show
Although they may not exactly be household names in the world of mainstream media, these podcasts have audiences of millions. Von’s Trump interview has nearly 14 million views on YouTube.