Theo Von Breaks With Trump, Voices Support for Bernie Sanders on His Podcast

Comedian and podcast host Theo Von—often described as part of the “podcast bro” media world that helped Donald Trump regain the White House—appears to be distancing himself from the president and aligning with progressive voices.

On a recent episode of This Past Weekend, Von hosted Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist senator from Vermont. During the 77-minute conversation, the two criticized Trump’s immigration policies and discussed recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including 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 on the show. “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, responding, “I agree—Trump has an authoritarian energy.”

The comedian also told Sanders that he believes the United States needs a third political party and praised several Democratic leaders. He spoke positively about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and California Rep. Ro Khanna, calling Khanna “a forward thinker.”

Von’s comments stand out because he is widely credited with helping Trump connect with young male voters during the 2024 campaign by hosting the then-candidate for relaxed, friendly interviews. Von’s podcast reaches tens of millions of listeners weekly, and audience data shows his fan base increasingly identifies as Republican.

Despite that, Von has publicly broken with Trump several times over the past year, especially on immigration. In October, he criticized the Department of Homeland Security for using clips from his podcast in a government deportation video without his consent.

“Yooo DHS I didn’t approve to be used in this,” 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.”

Later, he became emotional on his podcast while explaining that his father immigrated to the U.S. from Nicaragua. “One of my prized possessions is his immigration papers,” Von said. “So I have tons of thoughts about this… This was just messed up.”

The Sanders interview appears to have resonated with Von’s audience. As of publication, it had drawn about 250,000 YouTube views, along with thousands of comments expressing surprise and appreciation.

“I’ve never been a Bernie fan, but I’m glad I watched this,” one viewer wrote. “He presents himself much differently than in short news clips.”

Another commenter added, “As a Republican, I respect Bernie’s view on healthcare. We have the most expensive healthcare in the world, and something needs to be done about it.”

The positive response comes amid recent polling suggesting that Gen Z voters—who swung toward Trump in 2024—may now be moving away from him.

At the end of the episode, Sanders thanked Von for hosting him. Von, sounding sincere, replied, “We’re trying, man. I’m learning as I go.”