Biden Cancels Super Bowl Interview

The Biden administration announced this month that President Joe Biden would not take part in the traditional interview before the Super Bowl this Sunday. This marks the second year in a row that the president declined the offer, with the big game happening just days after a report from special counsel Robert Hur that indicated a failing memory.

The president will not take part in the CBS News interview prior to the game on Feb. 1. Instead, a White House spokesperson said “We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game.”

If the WH truly wants to alleviate age & vitality concerns they should do a media blitz. Network sit downs, the Sunday show rounds, do the Super Bowl interview, sit down w/Oprah, hell, go on WWHL.

Run like you’re Barack Obama.

My fear is they know it won’t go well for Biden.

— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) February 9, 2024

The announcement came amid increased concern about the president’s mental faculties and memory, including concern that First Lady Jill Biden is shielding him from doing certain events. In recent weeks, the president has stated that he spoke to two former European leaders, both of whom were dead at the time of the supposed talks.

Following the White House’s announcement, former President Donald Trump said that he would be happy to take the president’s place at the Super Bowl instead. Trump also did not take part in a Super Bowl interview prior to the 2018 game.

Hur’s report declined to press charges against Biden following the discovery of classified documents in his possession, including in his personal garage. This, in part, was caused by a concern that in front of a jury, “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.”

The report catalogs several instances where Biden appeared to have a failing memory, including not remembering when he was vice president and when his son Beau Biden died.

In addition, the president gave a press conference following the report’s release. During the event, he denied having any memory problems, but then confused Mexico with Egypt.

The report and the aftermath led some Republicans to call for Biden to step aside or for the presidential Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris.