Unexpectedly, over the weekend, presidential candidate Kamala Harris sat down with podcast host Alex Cooper to discuss women’s issues before the upcoming 2024 election.

Call Her Daddy, hosted by Alex Cooper, is one of the most listened-to podcasts on Spotify. The podcast is known for covering topics such as relationships, mental health, and women’s rights, but what sets it apart from the average podcast is its notorious explicit content. This is why many believe that what could be our future president, Kamala Harris, going on was “disgusting” and “unprofessional,” while others believe that her feature was “empowering” and a perfect example of “sisterhood strength.”

Cooper started the interview with an icebreaker: “Okay Kamala, what is something you’ve done recently that would make your younger self proud?” Harris pondered the question and responded with, “I think my younger self would be proud that I’m still taking risks. Coming on this podcast definitely counts as one.” The two shared a laugh, and Cooper began to dive into questions, asking Harris about her past relationships and how she met her current husband. The two went back and forth discussing dating advice and ways to empower women. Kamala’s final thoughts left an impact on listeners: “I know Call Her Daddy is about real conversations, real stories, and my story is this: I want young women to know that they belong in every room they walk into. Whether it’s a boardroom, a classroom, or yes, even the White House.” Positive Instagram commenters wrote, “This is a MOVEMENT” and “This entire conversation is about advocating for women. What are the women in the comments upset about??”

Moments after the podcast aired, it blew up. People all over the media had something to say about it. Cooper received major backlash for having the current vice president on her show. A fan commented, “I’m so disappointed, this feels like propaganda and trying to make her look ‘Gen Z.’” The episode is causing weekly listeners to stop listening. “DONE, this was my fav podcast. I’m 100% disgusted,” said another commenter. What appears to be the cause for this commotion is the lack of questions from Cooper on pressing political matters going on in the country today.

Hours after the episode aired, Harris’ opponent in the upcoming election, Donald Trump, fired back. His social media team uploaded a video to TikTok titled “Kamala recorded a Call Her Daddy podcast while Americans suffered,” while devastating videos of citizens suffering from the effects of Hurricane Helene in the Southeastern states played. Commenters raged over Kamala’s appearance in the podcast, stating, “Guess who won’t be listening to this podcast anymore” and “She has declined multiple interviews with strong individuals in politics and goes on this podcast. That is absolutely embarrassing.”

The most recent episode of Call Her Daddy featuring Kamala Harris was all things empowering and meaningful, but it lacked depth in its exploration of serious topics and relied on humor. The raunchy dating podcast was able to re-brand itself into something a bit more respectable. It is hard to say exactly what was accomplished with it because of the overwhelming backlash.