President Trump remarked that Howard Stern’s long-running SiriusXM show seems to be declining.
While responding to a reporter in the Oval Office, he acknowledged some uncertainty surrounding the 71-year-old Stern and his program.
“I’ve never really heard of Howard Stern,” Trump said on Wednesday. “I used to listen to his show and I enjoyed it, but honestly, I haven’t tuned in for quite some time.”
“What happened? Did he get fired?” he questioned.
Brian Glenn, a correspondent for Real Voice, raised the issue with Trump, mentioning financial disputes between Stern and Sirius.
“You know when he lost touch? When he backed Hillary Clinton,” Trump stated.
“He lost his audience. People were saying, ‘Give me a break.’
“He really went off the deep end when he supported Hillary,” the 79-year-old President emphasized.
With a five-year, $500 million contract with SiriusXM now concluded, the future of the controversial radio host remains uncertain.
Stern, who made an unexpected appearance on his show recently, is considering a short-term deal at a reasonable rate but may decide to step away altogether.
He assured listeners he would resume his regular schedule on September 2, saying, “We’re back at it. I’ve been recharging, so to speak.”
The current version of Stern’s iconic show started in 2006 and was updated in 2020 by SiriusXM. At its peak, it drew around 20 million listeners daily.
Trump and Stern were once friends, attending each other’s weddings and frequently being guests on one another’s shows.
However, their friendship soured after Stern backed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
In June 2022, Stern mentioned he would run for president if Trump decided to run again in 2024.
“I’ll beat him,” Stern declared to his audience at the time.
From the general election up to November 5, 2024, Stern had a rare interview with then-President Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic candidate.
After that episode aired, Trump vented about Stern, claiming he asked Harris softball questions.
“Beta man Howard Stern made a fool of himself on a radio show where he underrated,” Trump remarked.
“He looked ridiculous trying to make an incompetent and poorly equipped person look good, but that was a stretch,” he added.
Stern showed support for Harris and indicated that he would vote against Trump.
“I can’t wrap my head around how close this election is,” Stern told Harris. “Why do my fellow Americans embrace this level of chaos?”
