It's a chance to speak to tens of millions of viewers, all while being tossed softball questions by the sycophantic reporters at CBS News—yet President Biden for the second year in a row is choosing to skip the traditional Super Bowl halftime interview.
He couldn't be bothered in 2023 either, but one could argue that it was because it would have been Fox News anchors asking the questions, as the network had the SB that year—but what's the excuse this year? If CBS' Norah O'Donnell got the gig, she would likely spend the segment asking about what ice cream flavors he preferred.
It's not hard to figure out why he won't make the appearance—his handlers know he will make a fool out of himself, just like he did on New Year's Eve.
Biden's Brain Turns to Mush During New Year's Eve Appearance With Ryan Seacrest
The interview had become somewhat of a tradition in recent decades:
In a tradition dating to 2009, presidents have recorded an interview with the network that broadcasts the Super Bowl, although there have been exceptions. Donald J. Trump did not appear on NBC in 2018. Last year, Mr. Biden declined to appear on Fox, home of cable hosts like Sean Hannity who are sharply hostile toward him.
But the White House has been receptive to CBS News in the past. The president was interviewed by the “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell ahead of the 2021 Super Bowl, and he participated in two lengthy “60 Minutes” pieces, in 2022 and 2023, with the correspondent Scott Pelley.
To be fair, then-President Donald Trump refused to appear in 2018 because he didn't want to deal with the bias of NBC News. But two years in a row? That's unimpressive, especially when it's an election year where you're supposed to be getting out your message, and you have the relatively friendly confines of CBS.
Last year's big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles drew 115 million sets of eyeballs—making it the most-watched program in TV history—and don't be surprised if this year's viewership for the Chiefs against the SF 49ers is even higher given the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift dramatics.
There is only one explanation for the president to ignore such a huge opportunity, especially as many polls show him trailing former President Donald Trump. It's because he's simply not up to it. He can no longer string together a complete sentence, much less hold an entire conversation.
His people—and especially First Lady Jill—will keep trying to hide his momentous mental decline for as long as they can, but at some point, even the most ardent Biden supporter will see that the emperor wears no clothes.
It should be an easy gig—just say, "Weren't those jets overhead amazing? What a great game." Then look serious as you discuss the Houthis. Then talk about ice cream and boom, you're done. The fact that he can't even handle something as simple as that is terrifying, considering he's the commander-in-chief of our armed forces.
Let's hope he won't be appearing for a half-time interview in 2025 either—because he'll be sitting at home in Delaware.