Former President Donald Trump has stirred up attention in the final stretch of the presidential race by repeatedly misnaming CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, calling him “Allison Cooper.” This deliberate jab seems aimed at resonating with conservative male voters as the election approaches.
On Friday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to reference Cooper by a woman’s name. The following day, at a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, he escalated the taunt while critiquing a town hall hosted by Cooper featuring Vice President Kamala Harris. “If you watched her being interviewed by Allison Cooper the other night, he’s a nice person. You know Allison Cooper? CNN fake news,” Trump remarked. He added a mocking tone, saying, “Oh, she said no, his name is Anderson. Oh, no.”
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Trump repeated the name at another rally in Michigan and again at a rally in Pennsylvania. “They had a town hall,” he said in Michigan. “Even Allison Cooper was embarrassed by it. He was embarrassed by it.”
Trump’s antics come shortly after he appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which has gained immense popularity among younger male audiences. The episode received an impressive 20 million views on YouTube just 20 hours post-release, and by Monday morning, it had surged to 33.5 million views. In comparison, Rogan’s most viewed episode featuring Elon Musk reached 69 million views since its release in 2018.
On the Democratic side, Vice President Kamala Harris is also trying to connect with male voters. She has launched a series of advertisements in battleground states aimed specifically at this demographic. The new ads started airing during sports events on Sunday and will continue in cities like Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. One ad is scheduled to run during the Pittsburgh Steelers game on “Monday Night Football.”
A CNN national poll released on Friday indicates that Trump holds 51% support among male voters, compared to Harris’ 45%. This growing gap highlights the importance of appealing to male voters as both campaigns intensify their efforts in these crucial final days leading to the election.
