Former Today show host Karl Stefanovic has fuelled ongoing rumours of a full-blown political pivot after stepping out in Sydney wearing a Trump-esque hat following a high-profile weekend alongside One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
The 51-year-old television veteran was photographed arriving at Sydney Airport on Monday afternoon alongside his wife, Jasmine Yarbrough, and young daughter, Harper May.
While his outfit was mostly low-key – featuring a casual black zip-up hoodie, matching tee, and classic blue jeans – it was his striking headwear that did all the talking.
Channelling his inner Donald Trump, Stefanovic strutted through the terminal wearing a bright, fire-engine red cap stamped with the MAGA-adjacent slogan “Make Rodeo Great Again” and featuring a tiny Australian flag on the side.
Karl beamed from ear to ear as he walked through arrivals, pushing his luggage, with a bright pink backpack slung casually over his shoulder.
Online, commenters weighed in on the style choice.
“MA(ustralia)GA,” said one.
“Can he move to the US?” someone else wrote.
However, others didn’t read too much into it.
“It’s just a baseball cap,” said one.
The cheeky airport appearance followed a headline-grabbing trip to Outback Queensland, where Stefanovic soaked up the action at the Mount Isa Rodeo.
At the iconic regional event, the former morning TV star was spotted sitting side-by-side and looking cosy with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
The pair made no effort to keep a low profile.
Stefanovic later posted a photo to Instagram, posing between Hanson and his wife, captioning it: “Luckiest girls in the world.”
In the snap, Stefanovic wore a dark button-down shirt, while Hanson opted for a vibrant floral-and-cactus print top paired with a bright orange cowboy hat.
The outing has only intensified speculation about Stefanovic’s future following his dramatic exit from Nine Network.
Nine parted ways with the long-time host following intense fallout and crisis talks sparked by his controversial interview with far-right British activist Tommy Robinson on The Karl Stefanovic Show.
After his departure, Hanson publicly defended the broadcaster’s former golden boy, declaring Nine would be “bloody stupid” to let him go, before offering him a job in her own political office.
“Hey, guess what, Karl? I’m looking for someone in my office … Come and apply for a job with me, we’ll have a great time and get the country back on track,” Hanson told News24.
Stefanovic’s post from the rodeo racked up over 26,000 likes in a matter of days, but the comment section quickly descended into a political debate.
Critics were quick to express horror at the sudden political alignment, with one follower asking, “No way, not Pauline! Karl what have you done?!”
Others labelled the snap a “grifters convention,” while another asked where they could find the “vomit button”.
The backlash was so severe for some longtime fans that multiple users simply declared “I’m unfollowing,” while another user dubbed the former news presenter “Temu Joe Rogan”.
However, the post also attracted a massive wave of support from followers keen to see the media personality lean further into the right-wing space.
“This is what Australia needs!!!” one eager fan cheered.
Another even suggested he should go into politics, with one writing, “Karl for Prime Minister leading the One Nation party! My dreams coming true!!!”
Another follower asked, “Wouldn’t it be AMAZING if Karl joined One Nation?”
The sight of Stefanovic proudly wearing the red cap only reinforces what media analysts have been pointing out for months about his career shift.
Writing in The Conversation, RMIT journalism lecturer Dylan Bird highlighted how Stefanovic’s departure from Nine has drastically accelerated his transition into a conservative media figure.
“Karl Stefanovic’s exit from Nine will accelerate his transition from morning television star to right-wing podcast provocateur,” Bird wrote.
Bird argued that courting figures like Robinson was part of a strategic shift mirroring US media trends, noting that the interview re-emerged on Hanson’s YouTube channel shortly after being pulled down by Nine.
Stefanovic himself hasn’t shied away from the comparison, playfully leaning into the nickname “Joe Bogan” in reference to US podcast powerhouse Joe Rogan.
Prior to the Robinson scandal, Stefanovic’s independent podcast featured a line-up of conservative figures, including John Howard, Barnaby Joyce, Matt Canavan, Pete Evans, and Reform supporter Ant Middleton.
Rather than conducting traditional, confrontational interviews, Stefanovic has routinely praised his guests, even telling Middleton he’d make a “great prime minister” and commending Robinson’s “tenacity and courage”.
Stefanovic also recently hired activist Drew Pavlou and appointed him as the “chief chaos correspondent” for his podcast.
Pavlou recently made headlines for his anti-Chinese Communist Party protests at the University of Queensland and for his videos investigating alleged NDIS fraud.
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