The White House is now claiming that President Joe Biden wanted to do a Super Bowl sit-down with Fox Soul, the Fox-owned streaming service geared for black viewers, but Fox’s corporate owner cancelled it.
‘The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans. We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled,’ press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted Friday.
Fox is broadcasting Sunday’s big game – between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles – and so if the president wanted to participate in the Super Bowl interview tradition, which was started during President George W. Bush’s tenure, he’d likely have to talk to one of Fox News’ journalists.
Biden has previously gotten into it with White House correspondent Peter Doocy, referring to him as a ‘stupid son of a b***h’ at an event last January.
Variety reported Thursday that Fox network executives were proceeding as if the interview won’t happen, though a final call hadn’t been made.
The White House is now claiming that President Joe Biden wanted to do a Super Bowl sit-down with Fox Soul, the Fox-owned streaming service geared for black viewers, but Fox’s corporate owner cancelled it
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that the president had planned to do an interview with Fox Soul, but Fox corporate nixed it
Biden memorably called Fox News Channel’s White House correspondent Peter Doocy a ‘stupid son of a b***h’ at an event in January 2022, a comment which got caught on the president’s hot mic
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say what was happening with the interview when asked about it on board Air Force One on both Wednesday and Thursday.
‘I just don’t have anything to share. We literally just finished with the State of the Union, so I just don’t have anything to share on … this Sunday,’ she said Wednesday.
Asked again Thursday she said she didn’t ‘have anything to preview on Sunday.’
Jean-Pierre was then asked why Biden would skip the chance to appear in front of such a large audience.
‘I hear – I hear the question. I just don’t have anything to preview for you about Sunday,’ the press secretary answered.
She never mentioned that the White House’s preference was a sit-down with someone from Fox Soul.
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During Fox News Channel’s State of the Union programming Tuesday night, anchor Bret Baier confirmed that the network had asked the White House for a Biden sit-down.
‘We have formally asked for that interview, but we have not received an answer yet, whether they are going to officially do it or not,’ Baier said. ‘We are running out of days.’
Baier and Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream were being considered by the network to conduct the Biden interview, one source told Variety.
In 2004, former President George W. Bush (right) did a one-off interview from a snowy White House Rose Garden with CBS’ Jim Nantz (left) prior to the Super Bowl
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are seen on the jumbotron doing the pre-game Super Bowl interview in February 2021, just weeks after he took office
Former President Donald Trump also skipped a Super Bowl sit-down when it was with an unfavorable network.
For Trump, this meant NBC and NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt in 2018.
In the run-up to that Super Bowl, Trump had been critical of NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem, a demonstration against institutionalized racism.
In 2004, Bush 43 did a one-off interview from a snowy White House Rose Garden with CBS’ Jim Nantz prior to the Super Bowl.
In 2009, former President Barack Obama started the tradition in earnest – and sat for a Super Bowl interview during all eight years.
Trump participated in the Super Bowl interview three out of his four years, while Biden participated the last two years.
Biden seldom does one-on-one interviews, but did two this week following the State of the Union.
He sat down with PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff during his Wednesday trip to Wisconsin and Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro during his Tampa, Florida trip Thursday.
Still, some are questioning why he’d miss out on getting his message in front of such a big crowd.
‘The Biden administration is foolishly missing out on a massive Super Bowl pregame audience,’ one industry insider told DailyMail.com.
