Life

Howard Stern Woos ‘Dream’ President Hillary Clinton for Radio Show

Image by Nikki Casey

By Josefin Dolsten August 1, 2016

Controversial radio host Howard Stern said a Hillary Clinton presidency is a “dream of mine” as he tried to convince her to be interviewed on his show.

Stern, who is Jewish, said he was “enamored” by Clinton and that appearing on his program would allow the Democratic presidential nominee’s message to reach a wider audience.

“We’ve reached out and said, we’d love to have Hillary on,” Stern said in an interview with the Washington Post. “And it would expose her to an audience that might not be thinking of voting for her. She could also have a direct pipeline to a lot of people who wouldn’t normally get to hear her speak the way we have the ability to do it.”

Stern, a longtime Clinton supporter, noted that he had nothing against Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is a regular guest on the show.

“I don’t dislike Trump as a candidate but I am absolutely enamored by Hillary. And I’ve told Donald that,” he said. “Hillary as a president was sort of dream of mine for a long time.”

The Jewish radio show host said he thought Clinton would make “an extremely powerful president,” adding that he admired her record as a New York senator.

“I thought she was an excellent senator,” Stern said.

“The Howard Stern Show” has had its fair share of controversy — from Stern interviewing strippers to talking openly about risqué sexual subjects.

But the show has also become notable as of late for Stern’s frank and lengthy interviews with prominent figures, which often differ from the scripted feel of other talk shows.

“I couldn’t have done the show I’m doing now 20 years ago. I’ve changed a lot,” Stern told the New York Times in an article published last week.

Contact Josefin Dolsten at [email protected] or on Twitter, @JosefinDolsten

Josefin Dolsten is a New York-based writer who has reported for the Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Times of Israel and other Jewish publications. She currently works as an account director at Fenton Communications, supporting organizations that work to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights and more. Dolsten earned her B.A. in government from Cornell University and her M.A. in comparative religion and Jewish studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO