Pat McAfee Sets Sights on Elon Musk After Trump Interview

Pat McAfee, the former NFL punter turned media powerhouse, has declared his next white-whale guest: Elon Musk. The revelation comes on the heels of a headline-grabbing Veterans Day phone-in from former President Donald Trump that lit up social media and drew both praise and criticism from viewers of The Pat McAfee Show.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, the 38-year-old host admitted he is “desperate” to sit down with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. “I would like to talk to Elon [Musk]. I think he’s an alien,” McAfee said, half-joking. “I don’t know how you can be that successful in so many different ventures… I would just like to try to pick his brain. I enjoy those types of people who have a fearless amount of courage just to try to change the trajectory of mankind.”

The request is the latest evidence of McAfee’s ambition to secure the biggest names in politics, sports, and business. Since launching his three-hour podcast from an unmarked Indianapolis storefront in 2017, McAfee has built a brand that attracts nearly 700,000 listeners in its first year and eventually triggered a five-year, $85 million deal with ESPN. The program now airs weekday afternoons from “12–3 p.m.-ish” and features regular appearances by Aaron Rodgers, Nick Saban, and Bill Belichick.

McAfee’s Trump interview, which he called “a special moment,” solidified his reputation for landing newsmakers. “The Commander-in-Chief joining us is crazy to think about,” he reflected. “When I retired, I had zero job offers from anybody in TV.”

Since migrating to ESPN, McAfee has broken major stories, including the news that Travis Kelce will continue playing after Super Bowl LIX, and has publicly clashed with senior network executives. His freewheeling style is part of a broader shift in sports media, one that favors louder, more outspoken personalities over traditional studio formats. “It’s a younger generation,” McAfee explained. “We’re all scrollers, so we all understand what we’re looking for. It’s just natural evolution, I think, and we’re lucky to be a part of it.”

Off the air, McAfee recently signed with Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel, who reportedly envisions television and film projects for the host and has even floated the idea of positioning him as “the next Sylvester Stallone.”

Whether McAfee can coax the elusive Musk into the studio remains to be seen, but the host’s track record suggests no guest is out of reach.