Here's Why President Joe Biden Plans to Skip Super Bowl Interview for the Second Time

It has been customary to have an interview with the US President in the hours leading up to the Super Bowl. However, President Joe Biden plans to skip the customary presidential interview before the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

“We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game,” Ben LaBolt, a White House spokesman, clarified Biden's decision to Variety.

The Super Bowl usually attracts tens of millions of viewers, even in the hours leading up to kickoff, so skipping this one might be viewed as an unusual move, especially as contenders prepare for the 2024 presidential contest. Last year, President Biden turned down a request to talk with a Fox News journalist. The president's Super Bowl interview is typically announced five or more days in advance of the game.

Audiences may have been interested in listening to President Biden discuss the recent American attacks against Iranian forces, his opinions on the Republican contenders, such as former president Donald Trump, or even if he was rooting for the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs to win.

Biden's aides contend that this is not a tactic to get the president to avoid taking questions in front of the entire nation, but rather a component of their bigger strategy. CNN reports that his aides consider missing the interview as a smart choice to provide Americans with some time away from the politics of the 2024 campaign. Advisors note that they wish to refrain from adding to the already noticeable signs of election fatigue among those following election news.

The choice was made before the start of the right-wing media frenzy that erupted last week over Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce, following their Super Bowl matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. MAGA media figures have been spreading conspiracy theories about the pop artist, endorsing the idea that she is part of a massive psychological operations scheme orchestrated by the Democratic Party and the NFL to hand Biden an endorsement for the 2024 elections.

President Barack Obama began conducting pre-game interviews for the Super Bowl in 2009, and since then, it has become a standard part of the broadcast arrangements. From NBC's Matt Lauer to Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, President Obama had live interviews with a wide range of personalities. A Super Bowl "get" has long been sought after. The interview may make headlines for a few days and appear on morning and evening news shows on networks. 

White House's decision to exclude President Biden from appearances in 2023 could have been a reflection of tensions with Fox News. However, President Biden has not given many interviews to the media since coming to office, even as he appears to get along quite well with CBS News. Although Biden's advisors claim that there are no worries about protecting the president and that this was not a factor in the decision to grant the interview, it may seem that a flub this close to the election could cause unwanted scrutiny.