NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump's heated feud with radio personality Howard Stern has intensified, dominating headlines and social media discussions.
Trump's recent scathing remarks about Stern, labeling him as a "broken weirdo" who has gone "woke," have sparked a debate about their once-friendly relationship and the evolution of Stern's public persona.
Donald Trump's harsh critique
Trump's outburst against Stern unfolded on Truth Social, the former president's social media platform. He didn't hold back, offering a blistering assessment of Stern's current standing in the media landscape.
“The real Howard Stern is a weak, pathetic, and disloyal guy, who lost his friends and MUCH of his audience,” Trump wrote. “I did his show many times in the good old days, and then he went woke, and nobody cares about him any longer,” he stated.
Stern's “influence is gone, and without that, he’s got NOTHING,” Trump continued, adding that he is “just a broken weirdo, unattractive both inside and out, trying like hell to be relevant!”
These comments were a far cry from their previous interactions when Trump was a frequent guest on Stern's radio show. Trump asserted that going "woke" had rendered Stern irrelevant and devoid of the influence that once defined him.
The very public feud between Trump and Stern represents a remarkable departure from their previous relationship.
In the past, Trump and Stern had a seemingly cordial rapport, with the billionaire businessman making numerous appearances on Stern's radio show.
Howard Stern proudly embraces 'woke' label
As Stern's political and social views evolved over the years, so did the dynamics of his friendship with Trump.
Stern, once regarded as a voice of controversy and an uncompromising interviewer, proudly embraced the label of being "woke" in response to a fan's comment on a YouTube clip. “I am woke, motherf***er, and I love it!” he wrote.
“By the way, I kind of take that as a compliment, that I’m woke,” Stern stated on Monday, September 18. “If woke means I can’t get behind Trump, which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender or I’m for the vaccine, dude, call me woke as you f***ing want.”
Stern also made headlines recently for publicly distancing himself from comedian Bill Maher, who had made comments critical of Stern's second marriage to Beth Ostrosky.
Social media reactions
Unsurprisingly, Trump's assessment of Stern found resonance among many on social media.
Many echoed Trump's criticism of Stern's evolution, expressing disappointment in the transformation of someone they had once considered the "greatest interviewer on Earth."
"This is a spot-on analysis of Howard. He’s impossible to listen to these days. He used to be the greatest interviewer on Earth," one tweeted.
"I agree with President Trump, Howard Stern is a weak and pathetic piece of s***," another wrote.
"Listened to him every day back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Really hard to believe how much that dude changed. Once he started hanging with Jimmy Kimmel he went woke. Can’t even look at the dude now 'cause I feel like I was fooled," someone else added.
"Stern is trying to weasel his way into relevance. Not going to happen! #Trump2024," another insisted.
However, staunch supporters of Stern rushed to defend the radio personality, lauding him as the "King of All Media."
"What a surprise. The childish former guy is attacking @HowardStern. Howard can handle himself and always has, because he is THE KING OF ALL MEDIA and just f***ing awesome. As for the man-child attacking him, this guy should never get near the nuclear codes ever again," one commented.
"Oh, Howard Stern will rip him a new one. Trump is the grossest punk ass bully and he’s gonna be sorry when Howard responds. The day Trump is gone from this earth the entire planet will rejoice and throw parties," another added.
"One person I think would totally crush Donald Trump is Howard Stern. No doubt! Love to see a debate or interview now between those two. Howard would destroy Trump," someone else chimed in.
"Trump & Stern had a very friendly relationship for several years & Stern interviewed Trump many times in a very positive light. Now Stern sees Trump as the dangerous cult leader he has become & Stern is using his platform responsibly at this time to call him out. Case closed," another offered.
Donald Trump and Howard Stern over the years
The feud between Trump and Stern is not a recent development but rather the culmination of years of evolving dynamics.
Trump had appeared on Stern's show more than three dozen times during the 1990s and early 2000s, forming a mutually beneficial relationship.
However, as Stern's political views diverged from Trump's, their friendship began to sour.
In a revealing 2016 CNN report, it was exposed that Trump had made controversial and misogynistic remarks about women during his appearances on the Howard Stern Show.
These comments included inappropriate remarks about his own daughter, Ivanka Trump, and lewd comments about intimate matters.
In a 2019 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stern had offered a rather positive assessment of Trump. While acknowledging Trump's ability to connect with an audience and labeling him "wild" and "unfiltered," Stern also lauded Trump's tendency to rate women's physical attractiveness on a scale of one to ten, Forbes reported.
