Joe Biden has decided to forgo the annual pre-Super Bowl interview for the second consecutive year, this time opting out of the opportunity to speak with CBS. According to his advisers, this decision is part of a larger strategy to provide the weary public with a reprieve from politics during the highly anticipated game. While it is not uncommon for fans to show little interest in hearing from the president before a football game, the White House’s choice aligns with their overall plan to shield Biden from public scrutiny. In fact, Biden rarely engages with the media, except for brief press conferences that often do more harm than good in dispelling concerns about his cognitive decline. This approach of keeping Biden in the background rather than actively campaigning was employed by his team during the 2020 election and is likely to be repeated this year.
Clay Travis and Dana Perino have also raised questions about the future of the pre-Super Bowl interview tradition, especially since both Biden and Trump have declined multiple interviews. Perino, however, remains hopeful that the practice will continue, recognizing its significance for the current president. Despite the declining influence of television in the digital age, the Super Bowl remains an exception, consistently attracting a massive audience. Last year, the event broke the all-time viewership record with an astonishing 112 million people tuning in. There is an anticipation within the media industry that this year’s game, possibly with the support of Taylor Swift, could surpass that record. Consequently, any president who declines the opportunity to be interviewed before the Super Bowl is essentially forfeiting an invaluable platform to connect with a wide audience. It is worth noting that Fox, NBC, and ABC/ESPN will be broadcasting the next three Super Bowls.