The Dead Husk of Gawker Is Being Used to Promote Joe Rogan's Interview With Donald Trump

The dead husk of the defunct blog Gawker has seemingly come to life once again.

The over-2o-year-old publication's homepage currently features a single story, in the form of a direct link to podcaster Joe Rogan's October 25 interview with former president Donald Trump, as spotted by Passionfruit newsletter publisher (and former Futurism publisher) James Del.

"Trump X Rogan uncensored: 3-hour weave or windfall?" the post asks rhetorically. "Gloves off and all-in on the podcast superstar, is this the defining moment of the 2024 election?"

To be clear, we have no idea why Gawker is directing readers to a rambling interview that couldn't be further from being the "defining moment" of the election. According to a CNN fact check, Trump made at least 32 false claims during the almost three-hour-long chat, including lies about the 2020 election, vice president Kamala Harris' crowd sizes, and so on.

Given the often abrasive and unabashedly progressive nature of Gawker's former editorial views, the choice of its latest — and only — blog post is striking. For one, calling Rogan a "podcast superstar" is a notable departure from how Gawker treated him in the past, from a blunt piece about whether he can "suck his own dick," to an examination of a video he made apologizing for repeatedly saying the N-word.

Given the imminent presidential election, the timing is certainly suspect. Rogan officially endorsed Trump for president a day ahead of the election.

The homepage also now features a button for an "Ask a Gawker" feature, which could hint at a possible AI chatbot integration.

"Don't worry, we couldn't care less who you are... for now," reads a tongue-in-cheek message at the bottom of the pop-up that appears when you click on the button.

Futurism reached out to Gawker's new owner, Meng Ru Kuok, for comment.

The blog has an incredibly rocky history, especially since it published a sex tape featuring wrestler Hulk Hogan, a decision that led to a drawn-out legal battle, a proxy war waged by former PayPal CEO and Elon Musk's billionaire friend Peter Thiel. Gawker ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2016.

Gawker has cycled through a number of different owners since then, including Univision, which was later renamed to the Gizmodo Media Group, and Bustle owner Bryan Goldberg, who purchased the website and its archive in July 2018.

The blog had a brief less-than-two-year-long stint, publishing under the Bustle Digital Group's ownership until it folded once again in early 2023, failing to make enough money to stay afloat.

Most recently, Gawker was acquired by Meng Ru Kuok, the founder of Singapore-based Caldecott Music Group.

Kuok confirmed to Variety in November 2023 that he had bought the trademarks and domain name, but not its archives (which fortunately have since been backed up elsewhere.)

"As it relates to the future for Gawker, as a brand that spent many years in the public consciousness, my personal opinion is that it has the opportunity for reinvention," he told the publication at the time. "Whatever plans materialize, what’s for sure is that it won’t be the same as it was before."

Given the latest change to its homepage, we can't help but agree.

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