Theo Von is one of several podcast bros credited with helping Donald Trump return to the White House. But a year after Trump’s inauguration, the comedian appears to be siding with Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Von, 45, hosted the democratic socialist senator from Vermont on his podcast, This Past Weekend, where the two commiserated over Trump’s ICE deployments in Minnesota and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by an ICE agent.
“What Trump is using ICE for now is a domestic military operation,” Sanders said during the interview, which was released Wednesday. “You don’t shoot somebody in the head who was in their car. It’s Trump saying, ‘I have the power.’ This is what Trumpism is about. It’s intimidation.”
Von agreed.
“I agree, like, Trump has an authoritarian energy,” the comedian replied.
Von, who boasts 4.42 million YouTube subscribers, also told Sanders that he believes the need for a third political party in the United States is greater than ever. He went on to praise several prominent Democrats, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Ro Khanna, a leading progressive voice in Congress.
“Guys like Ro Khanna, people who are inspired by him—I like a lot of things he has to say… he’s a forward thinker,” Von said.
Von, who did not respond to a request for comment, is among a group of influential podcast hosts widely credited with strengthening Trump’s appeal to young male voters during the 2024 campaign by hosting the then-candidate for friendly interviews.
His podcast draws tens of millions of listeners each week, an audience that data shows increasingly identifies as Republican.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with the progressive Vermont senator over the years, referring to him as “Crazy Bernie” throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and, more recently, a “lunatic” during his nationwide Fighting Oligrachy tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Meanwhile, Von has broken publicly with Trump several times this year, particularly over the administration’s hardline immigration policies.
In October, the comedian slammed Department of Homeland Security officials for using his video clips to promote the administration’s latest deportation campaign.
“Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this. I know you know my address so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos,” Von wrote in a now-deleted post.
“When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are a lot more nuanced than this video allows,” he added. “Bye!”
Von later grew visibly emotional while recounting the incident on his podcast.
“My father immigrated here from Nicaragua. One of my prized possessions is… his immigration papers from when he came here—I have them in frame,” he said.
“So I have tons of thoughts about [immigration]… This was just f—ed up.”
Von’s interview with Sanders—which had racked up roughly 250,000 YouTube views as of publication—also appeared to resonate with his audience.
“I am pleasantly surprised. I’ve never been a Bernie fan. I am so glad I watched this. He presents himself much differently than what we see on short news clips,” one commenter wrote.
“This guy seems genuinely concerned about our country in a way that so many of us are,” another added. “He understands the problems. I’ve never seen him smile until tonight with Theo… Bernie has a new fan.”
The sentiment follows recent polling that suggests Gen-Z, who decisively swung toward Trump in 2024, is now swinging away.
Another commenter wrote, “As a Republican, I respect Bernie’s view on healthcare. We have the most expensive health care in the world and something needs to be done about it.”
At the conclusion of the 77-minute interview, Sanders thanked Von for hosting him. Von, who appeared earnest and emotional, replied, “We’re trying, man. You know, it’s…. I’m learning as I go.”
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