The White House declined CBS News’ request for a Super Bowl-related interview with President Joe Biden, the network confirmed.
This will be the second year in a row that the White House has neglected to do an interview, which has become a tradition because it reaches such a large audience. CBS owns the rights to broadcast the February 11 event between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year, the White House declined a request from Fox News for an interview when Fox had the rights to broadcast the big game. Variety first reported on the denied application.
A White House official confirmed that the request was denied.
The decision to forego a Super Bowl interview came as a surprise, because it would provide the president with a greater chance of being visible in an election year. Biden previously interviewed NBC News’ Lester Holt in 2022 and CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell in 2021. Biden interviewed the president last October 60 minutes Reporter Scott Pelley
Although there has been a tradition of news segment interviews with the network hosting the Super Bowl, dating back to Barack Obama’s conversation with Matt Lauer in 2009, Biden is not the first to break that pattern. Donald Trump declined an interview request with NBC News in 2018.
It is not clear who CBS News has nominated for the interview. Last year, Fox News offered Bret Baier or Shannon Brehm an interview with the president. Instead, the White House announced that it would interview Fox Soul, another Fox Corp entity, though that was ultimately cancelled.
Biden is on his way to Los Angeles today for a visit that includes a meeting with Black leaders in the entertainment industry.
More is coming.