Steven Bartlett fans call Ivanka Trump interview ‘propaganda’ as backlash grows
Fans of Steven Bartlett’s podcast The Diary of a CEO are ‘disappointed’ in his interview with Ivanka Trump (Picture: The Diary Of A CEO)
Steven Bartlett is facing a fresh wave of backlash after the latest episode of his podcast, The Diary of a CEO, with listeners saying they are ‘appalled’ by his interview with Ivanka Trump.
The episode, titled Ivanka Trump: I Learned What Most People Never Do at 9 Years Old!, sees the 33-year-old entrepreneur sit down with the First Daughter for a conversation about her upbringing, mindset, and personal struggles.
But while Bartlett has built his brand on thoughtful, reflective interviews about mental health, burnout, and success, many fans feel this latest installment is another sign of a troubling shift.
During the hour-and-a-half discussion, Trump spoke about her ‘extraordinary’ life, her early experiences with trust, and her admiration for the Stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.
She also described her time working in the White House as ‘extremely mind-expanding’ and praised her father as ‘so authentic’, while insisting she has found ‘a lot of peace’ despite ongoing criticism.
Bartlett, for his part, appeared openly sympathetic, at one point describing his guest as a ‘pure, soft, empathetic soul’ and repeating that he had ‘zero desire’ to ask questions that might ‘drive a wedge’ between her and her father.
One viewer said: ‘This is not an interview. This is PR.’ (Picture: The Diary Of A CEO)
That approach has not gone down well with large sections of his audience.
Under the YouTube video, one viewer wrote: ‘Kind of disappointed in Diary of CEO, was this interview necessary?’
Another added: ‘So disappointed you didn’t ask the real hard questions that matter.’
Others were more blunt, with one comment reading: ‘This is not an interview. This is PR.’
Several viewers also criticised the lack of political scrutiny, specifically, particularly given the broader global context of Trump’s controversial war with Iran.
Many pointed out that Bartlett didn’t mention her complicity in the actions of either her father or husband, Jared Kushner (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Bartlett painted an intentionally humanising image of Ivanka (Picture: The Diary Of A CEO)
‘Not a single question about the war?? It feels like a flat, pre-arranged interview. I was expecting more :(‘ one person wrote.
On TikTok, the reaction was similarly fierce. ‘Ok now I am looking at him sideways 😩 cause what is this??’ one user said, while another asked: ‘What in the propaganda?!?!’
Others questioned the decision to platform Trump at all. ‘Extremely disappointed you would platform this family in any way,’ one comment read, with another simply adding: ‘Why are you platforming this omg.’
The controversy echoes earlier criticism of Bartlett’s podcast, which in recent months has been accused of drifting from its original self-improvement focus and of platforming dangerous right-wing ideas as though they were reasonable.
Bartlett previously faced backlash for an interview with Chris Williamson that platformed misogynistic ideas (Picture: The Diary Of A CEO)
A previous episode featuring Chris Williamson sparked backlash after a discussion about declining birth rates veered into questioning the validity of women’s independence and a discussion of alleged ‘anti-family’ culture.
Critics argued the conversation reduced complex social issues to grievances about feminism and failed to properly challenge problematic views.
For some listeners, the Ivanka Trump episode is another example of a growing concern: that the podcast’s calm, measured tone can lend credibility to contentious perspectives by presenting them without meaningful pushback.
Many are wondering when Bartlett began to be so sympathetic to right wing figures (Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Web Summit Qatar via Getty Images)
However, not all feedback has been negative as a number of viewers praised Bartlett for hosting guests across the political spectrum.
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‘Love this interview!!!! Thank you for interviewing everyone no matter what political side they are on,’ one supporter wrote.
Another added: ‘Love this guy interviewing Ivanka. May God bless him indeed for the kind-heartedness he has shown.’
Still, for many longtime fans, the issue is not simply who Bartlett interviews, but how he contextualizes — or ignores — their most controversial ideas.
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