Rumble inks seven-figure podcast deal with Donald Trump Jr for show called ‘Triggered’

Rumble, a Canada-based video platform that has touted itself as a conservative alternative to YouTube, has signed a multi-year podcast deal with Donald Trump Jr, reportedly worth seven figures.

Under the agreement, Mr Trump, who has over 1 million subscribers on the platform already, will host a biweekly podcast called “Triggered with Don Jr,” sharing a title with his 2019 book.

"While other Big Tech companies are focused on censoring dissent, Rumble is building a platform that welcomes it, which is why so many content creators — all over the political spectrum — are now joining them," Mr Trump told Axios, which reported on the deal.

The ex-president’s son has become a right-wing influencer in recent years, writing multiple books and regularly sharing videos where he riffs on current events.

The video-sharing service, which partners with former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social network, has looser content moderation guidelines than mainstream tech platforms, and far-right content creators kicked off other services have found refuge there.

The company, which had an estimated 44 million monthly visitors in 2022, told the New York Times it’s aiming to be “immune from cancel culture.”

Rumble, backed by conservative figures including billionaire Peter Thiel and US Senator JD Vance, has also inked deals with comedian Russell Brand and journalist Glenn Greenwald.

It’s the latest trend in media services tying their fates to exclusive deals with politically affiliated figures, and in the convergence between right-wing politics and tech platforms.

Podcaster Joe Rogan has a deal with Spotify reportedly worth $200m, a major bet that has sometimes embroiled the streamer in controversy, as when Covid misinformation on the show inspired big-name artists like Neil Young to quit the platform.

Former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama had an exclusive audio deal with Spotify as well, though they recently defected to Amazon’s Audible platform, reportedly over distribution issues.

In December, rapper and Nazi-sympathiser Kanye West entertained a bid to buy the right-wing social media app Parler, before later backing away.