President Biden has declined doing a pre-game Super Bowl interview with CBS, making the second year in a row he has dodged the traditional big game news sit-down.
Biden’s decision to skip what is typically the highest rated television broadcast of the year is puzzling as it’s an easy opportunity to speak directly to millions of voters in a tight election year.
The president, 81, participated in the interview during his first two years in office when the Super Bowl was broadcast on NBC and CBS — but ducked out last year when Fox News aired the big game.
CBS will broadcast this year’s Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers championship matchup on Feb. 11.
“We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game,” White House spokesperson Ben LaBolt told Variety, who first reported on Biden’s Super Bowl absence.
A presidential interview has been a feature of nearly every Super Bowl telecast since Barack Obama started the tradition in 2009.
In 2018, then-president Donald Trump refused NBC’s request to be interviewed ahead of Super Bowl LII after controversially criticizing players who refused to stand for the national anthem earlier in the season.
Biden’s has notably not granted many press interviews since taking office.
The Super Bowl draws tens of millions of fans every year. Last year’s game drew some 115 million viewers, breaking records.
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