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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
While his outfit was mostly low-key \u2013 featuring a casual black zip-up hoodie, matching tee, and classic blue jeans \u2013 it was his striking headwear that did all the talking.<\/p>\n
Channelling his inner Donald Trump, Stefanovic strutted through the terminal wearing a bright, fire-engine red cap stamped with the MAGA-adjacent slogan \u201cMake Rodeo Great Again\u201d and featuring a tiny Australian flag on the side.<\/p>\n
Karl beamed from ear to ear as he walked through arrivals, pushing his luggage, with a bright pink backpack slung casually over his shoulder.<\/p>\n
Online, commenters weighed in on the style choice. <\/p>\n
\u201cMA(ustralia)GA,\u201d said one.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan he move to the US?\u201d someone else wrote. <\/p>\n
However, others didn\u2019t read too much into it. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a baseball cap,\u201d said one. <\/p>\n
The cheeky airport appearance followed a headline-grabbing trip to Outback Queensland, where Stefanovic soaked up the action at the Mount Isa Rodeo.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The pair made no effort to keep a low profile. <\/p>\n
Stefanovic later posted a photo to Instagram, posing between Hanson and his wife, captioning it: \u201cLuckiest girls in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The outing has only intensified speculation about Stefanovic\u2019s future following his dramatic exit from Nine Network.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
After his departure, Hanson publicly defended the broadcaster\u2019s former golden boy, declaring Nine would be \u201cbloody stupid\u201d to let him go, before offering him a job in her own political office.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, guess what, Karl? I\u2019m looking for someone in my office \u2026 Come and apply for a job with me, we\u2019ll have a great time and get the country back on track,\u201d Hanson told News24.<\/p>\n
Stefanovic\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
Critics were quick to express horror at the sudden political alignment, with one follower asking, \u201cNo way, not Pauline! Karl what have you done?!\u201d<\/p>\n
Others labelled the snap a \u201cgrifters convention,\u201d while another asked where they could find the \u201cvomit button\u201d.<\/p>\n
The backlash was so severe for some longtime fans that multiple users simply declared \u201cI\u2019m unfollowing,\u201d while another user dubbed the former news presenter \u201cTemu Joe Rogan\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what Australia needs!!!\u201d one eager fan cheered. <\/p>\n
Another even suggested he should go into politics, with one writing, \u201cKarl for Prime Minister leading the One Nation party! My dreams coming true!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
Another follower asked, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be AMAZING if Karl joined One Nation?\u201d<\/p>\n
The sight of Stefanovic proudly wearing the red cap only reinforces what media analysts have been pointing out for months about his career shift.<\/p>\n
Writing in The Conversation<\/a>, RMIT journalism lecturer Dylan Bird highlighted how Stefanovic\u2019s departure from Nine has drastically accelerated his transition into a conservative media figure.<\/p>\n \u201cKarl Stefanovic\u2019s exit from Nine will accelerate his transition from morning television star to right-wing podcast provocateur,\u201d Bird wrote.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s YouTube channel shortly after being pulled down by Nine.<\/p>\n Stefanovic himself hasn\u2019t shied away from the comparison, playfully leaning into the nickname \u201cJoe Bogan\u201d in reference to US podcast powerhouse Joe Rogan.<\/p>\n Prior to the Robinson scandal, Stefanovic\u2019s independent podcast featured a line-up of conservative figures, including John Howard, Barnaby Joyce, Matt Canavan, Pete Evans, and Reform supporter Ant Middleton.<\/p>\n Rather than conducting traditional, confrontational interviews, Stefanovic has routinely praised his guests, even telling Middleton he\u2019d make a \u201cgreat prime minister\u201d and commending Robinson\u2019s \u201ctenacity and courage\u201d.<\/p>\n Stefanovic also recently hired activist Drew Pavlou and appointed him as the \u201cchief chaos correspondent\u201d for his podcast.<\/p>\n Pavlou recently made headlines for his anti-Chinese Communist Party protests at the University of Queensland and for his videos investigating alleged NDIS fraud.<\/p>\n Tech billionaire Elon Musk recently re-shared his content about Ben Roberts-Smith on X. <\/p>\n Read related topics:Pauline Hanson<\/a>Sydney<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Today show host Karl Stefanovic has fuelled ongoing rumours of a full-blown political pivot after stepping out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[92415,64913,92422,92459,92440,42292,92467,92476,92428,92503,37016,92442,92469,92481,92506,92452,92516,92432,92501,92456,92454,92464,92411,92412,45037,92486,92438,92471,92480,46332,42186,92500,92434,92512,92420,92426,92413,40351,92510,92485,92470,38423,22,23,21,4918,92425,92443,92444,92494,92482,92509,43285,3115,92451,44947,92507,32245,74861,92496,11674,37031,92487,92457,92497,74879,85714,92488,92441,92431,92483,92489,92472,92491,37355,8951,5518,92433,92502,92465,13285,65591,9502,92474,2135,92515,92419,2700,92447,92495,37045,39122,92417,44352,92445,58591,65656,92499,92475,92490,40247,92484,92446,1955,30314,92517,92421,92448,3121,11672,92463,92436,149,489,53524,92455,92492,92468,21188,92430,92460,37134,38760,65630,4381,247,5769,92416,92461,92477,92498,57803,15595,89362,41300,92435,39239,92414,31738,37024,92473,92458,92450,40574,92514,92508,92437,92504,92418,92423,92462,41318,92424,92518,92453,92429,92466,92505,92513,92478,92427,61642,36628,37120,33333,92493,92439,92449,92479,39318,92511],"class_list":["post-69366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-s-cap","tag-s-departure","tag-s-exit","tag-s-former-golden-boy","tag-s-full-blown-political-pivot","tag-s-future","tag-s-independent-podcast","tag-s-post","tag-s-youtube-channel","tag-000-likes","tag-37016","tag-a-great-prime-minister","tag-a-grifters-convention","tag-a-baseball-cap","tag-a-bright","tag-a-bright-orange-cowboy-hat-the-outing","tag-a-bright-pink-backpack","tag-a-casual-black-zip-up-hoodie","tag-a-conservative-media-figure","tag-a-dark-button-down-shirt","tag-a-full-blown-political-pivot","tag-a-great-time","tag-a-headline-grabbing-trip","tag-a-high-profile-weekend","tag-a-job","tag-a-line-up","tag-a-low-profile","tag-a-maga-style-cap","tag-a-massive-wave","tag-a-matter","tag-a-photo","tag-a-political-debate","tag-a-potential-political-career-move","tag-a-strategic-shift","tag-a-tiny-australian-flag","tag-a-trump-esque-hat","tag-a-vibrant-floral-and-cactus-print-top","tag-afternoon","tag-all-the","tag-another-follower","tag-another-user","tag-arrivals","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-austrlia","tag-barnaby-joyce","tag-bird-wrote-bird","tag-classic-blue-jeans","tag-commenters","tag-confrontational-interviews","tag-conservative-figures","tag-courting-figures","tag-critics","tag-days","tag-ear","tag-far-right-british-activist-tommy-robinson","tag-fire-engine-red-cap","tag-followers","tag-former-today-show-host-karl-stefanovic","tag-ga","tag-hanson","tag-harper","tag-her-own-political-office","tag-his-career-shift-writing","tag-his-controversial-interview","tag-his-departure","tag-his-dramatic-exit","tag-his-guests","tag-his-inner-donald-trump","tag-his-luggage","tag-his-outfit","tag-his-shoulder-online","tag-his-striking-headwear","tag-his-transition","tag-his-wife","tag-horror","tag-instagram","tag-intense-fallout-and-crisis-talks","tag-jasmine-yarbrough","tag-joe-bogan","tag-john-howard","tag-karl","tag-karl-stefanovic","tag-luckiest-girls","tag-ma","tag-maga-style-airport-cap-detail","tag-matching-tee","tag-matt-canavan","tag-media-analysts","tag-middleton","tag-monday","tag-months","tag-morning-television-star","tag-multiple-users","tag-my-dreams","tag-my-office","tag-news24-stefanovic","tag-nine-network-nine","tag-nine-stefanovic","tag-no-effort","tag-no-way","tag-one-eager-fan","tag-one-follower","tag-one-nation","tag-one-nation-leader-pauline-hanson","tag-one-nation-leader-pauline-hanson-the-pair","tag-ongoing-rumours","tag-outback-queensland","tag-part","tag-pauline","tag-pete-evans","tag-pointed-detail","tag-politics","tag-prime-minister","tag-reference","tag-reform-supporter-ant-middleton-rather","tag-right-wing-podcast-provocateur","tag-rmit-journalism-lecturer-dylan-bird","tag-robinson","tag-rodeo-great","tag-some-longtime-fans","tag-someone-else","tag-speculation","tag-stefanovic","tag-support","tag-sydney","tag-sydney-airport","tag-temu-joe-rogan","tag-tenacity-and-courage","tag-the-vomit-button","tag-the-51-year-old-television-veteran","tag-the-action","tag-the-airport","tag-the-backlash","tag-the-broadcaster","tag-the-cheeky-airport-appearance","tag-the-comment-section","tag-the-comparison","tag-the-conversation","tag-the-country","tag-the-former-morning-tv-star","tag-the-former-news-presenter","tag-the-iconic-regional-event","tag-the-interview","tag-the-karl-stefanovic-show-after","tag-the-long-time-host","tag-the-maga-adjacent-slogan","tag-the-media-personality","tag-the-mount-isa-rodeo-at","tag-the-nickname","tag-the-one-nation-party","tag-the-post","tag-the-red-cap","tag-the-right-wing-space","tag-the-robinson-scandal","tag-the-rodeo","tag-the-side-karl","tag-the-sight","tag-the-snap","tag-the-style-choice","tag-the-sudden-political-alignment","tag-the-terminal","tag-the-us","tag-the-world","tag-track","tag-traditional","tag-us-media-trends","tag-us-podcast-powerhouse-joe-rogan-prior","tag-ustralia","tag-ways","tag-young-daughter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}