Emily Austin has become skilled at incorporating both sports and politics into her professional life.
The 24-year-old has interviewed figures like President Donald Trump and Jalen Brunson, and she’s now leveraging her knowledge with her own podcast, “The Emily Austin Show.”
The podcast debuted on Tuesday, featuring former New York governor and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo as her first guest. Future episodes will include appearances by Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Garcia, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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“I never intended to focus on politics, but sometimes it’s a necessary calling, that’s what I tell people,” Austin mentioned in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
That calling emerged while she was a student at Hofstra University, where she felt she “can’t live under another Biden presidency” due to her exclusion from campus because of her vaccination status. However, Austin already had a successful NBA podcast, “The Hoop Chat,” which she capitalized on.
“I was just really fed up. At that moment, I knew I had to take action, because I realized the platform I had, and there’s no point in having a platform if you don’t advocate for your beliefs?” Austin said.
Consequently, she chose to set aside her passion and expertise for sports and transition into a political commentator, while still incorporating sports when relevant.
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“I’m glad that the podcast has highlighted the question: ‘How do you balance politics and sports?’ I’ve come to see that every athlete on my podcast also has their own political opinions,” Austin noted. “Many agree with me, and many don’t. But at least we have a relationship where we can discuss these things.
“You’d be surprised how many NBA players I’ve interviewed who are MAGA supporters, but they’re afraid to express it. I’m trying to encourage them, just as your teammates are comfortable being Democrats, you should be comfortable disagreeing and being a Republican. There needs to be a safe space for people to share their political opinions.”
Austin said that uncovering athletes’ political views isn’t even her ultimate goal. Her main aim is to create a comfortable environment for discussing issues, regardless of an athlete’s or politician’s stance.
“If the conversation remains focused on sports, that’s fine. But if, for example, I have a guest who will announce that he voted for Trump, and it goes viral, that’s also welcome,” Austin said. “It’s essentially a safe space for open dialogue covering everything without restrictions. I want everyone to feel free to speak their mind without boundaries. Whatever needs to be said will be said on ‘The Emily Austin Show.’”
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