James Carville, a Democratic strategist, interpreted President Joe Biden’s absence from a pre-Super Bowl interview as an indication of the administration’s lack of confidence.
Missed Opportunity
Carville emphasized the importance of the occasion, highlighting it as a missed opportunity for wide-reaching engagement.
Biggest Television Audience
“It’s the biggest television audience, not even close, and you get a chance to do a 20, 25-minute interview on that day, and you don’t do it, that’s a kind of sign that the staff or yourself doesn’t have much confidence in you, there’s no other way to read this,” he stated on CNN’s “Smerconish.”
Repeated Decision
For the second consecutive year, President Biden has opted out of the traditional interview before the Super Bowl.
Surprise Choice
The choice comes as a shock, particularly given the president’s current campaign for reelection.
White House Statment
According to Variety, White House communication director Ben LaBolt stated, “We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game,” offering no further details on the choice.
Trump Skips Tradition
Former President Donald Trump also skipped the tradition during his term amid conflicts with the NFL over national anthem protests.
Trump Ready for Interview
Trump, eyeing a return to the presidency, expressed eagerness to take Biden’s place for this year’s interview.
“A Great Decision”
The former president on Monday wrote on Truth Social, “Crooked Joe Biden has just announced that he will not be doing the big Super Bowl Interview. A great decision, he can’t put two sentences together.”
Ratings Gold
He added, “I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REPLACE HIM – would be ‘RATINGS GOLD!”‘
Rare media Appearances
Biden’s media appearances have become increasingly rare, with the president preferring fewer formal interactions with the press. He did not hold a year-end press conference in 2023 and has limited his TV and print interviews.
Biden’s Interview Count
According to Martha Kumar, a retired political science professor who tracks White House communications, Biden completed 86 interviews in his first three years, compared to Trump’s 300 and Barak Obama’s 422.
Phillips Ready for Interview
In addition to Trump, Representative Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota and a long-shot Democratic presidential hopeful, also expressed his willingness to stand in for the president.
Happy for the Super Bowl interview
Phillips noted, “I’m happy to stand-in for President Biden and do the Super Bowl interview. I also hold press conferences. I debate. I face voters. I face the press. And I face the future.”
Unfavorable Media Coverage
Biden’s decision not to participate in the CBS News Super Bowl interview aligns with recent challenges, notably unfavorable media coverage following the release of a special counsel’s report on Thursday regarding his handling of classified documents.
Report Findings
The special counsel, Robert Hur, concluded that no legal action should be taken against Biden, although the report did raise concerns about Biden’s memory and recall capabilities.
“Elderly Man with a Poor Memory”
The report stated, “We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Jurors Unlikely to Convict
It added, “Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”
Biden’s Rebuttal
On Thursday, Biden fiercely responded to the report during a press conference, staunchly defending both his memory and mental acuity.
“My Memory’s Fine”
“My memory’s fine. … Take a look at what I’ve done since I became president. … How did that happen? I guess I just forgot what was going on,” he declared.
Presidents Mix Up
Despite his defense, Biden mistakenly referred to the president of Egypt as the president of Mexico, sparking further discussions on his memory.
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