Pete Buttigieg, who served as secretary of transportation under former President Joe Biden, made a surprise appearance Friday on “Pardon My Take,” a popular sports podcast. The guest spot comes as Democrats try to make inroads with young male voters, the core constituency of the so-called manosphere of online content.

Buttigieg appeared to announce that internet personality Jersey Jerry had won the podcast’s “Lib of the Year” award.

As Jersey Jerry looked on, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat featuring President Donald Trump’s signature, Buttigieg congratulated him on his “evolving perspective on immigration” and “being open to the idea that vaccines actually work.”

“Pardon My Take” is one of the most listened to and watched sports podcasts. Buttigieg’s appearance on the program is even more notable since “Pardon My Take” is a part of Barstool Sports, which is led by outspoken conservative Dave Portnoy.

Democrats have been fumbling for the past year to find a way to reach out to male voters, 55% of whom voted for Trump in last year’s presidential election, according to exit polls. Online podcasts and streams like “Pardon My Take” have been seen as a main pathway to reaching this demographic.

During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump made multiple appearances on programs in the “manosphere,” while the campaign of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was more reluctant about reaching out to similar programming.

Recently, liberal donors have also been strategizing on how to bankroll progressive content that appeals to men.

Buttigieg, who also served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020, has been discussed as a likely candidate in the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries.

By appearing on the podcast and reaching an audience that may be unaware of him or even hostile to Democrats, Buttigieg could be signaling plans to reach beyond the party’s traditional supporters if he decides to run.