'Joe Biden Should Talk to 'The View' or 'Howard Stern' Before He Does a Press Conference', Jen Psaki
During the recent airing of The View, Jen Psaki responded to a recent New York Times report alleging that President Joe Biden has participated in the fewest interviews and press interactions of any president since Ronald Reagan. Even though Psaki may no longer hold the position of White House press secretary, she remains ready to offer President Biden some guidance on effectively communicating his political message to the American public.
"I think the benefit of the media environment right now … is that there are so many choices. When you’re communicating from the White House, I mean, respect for freedom of speech and freedom of the press is important, but you’re also just trying to communicate with the American people. So my view is, he should come on The View before he does a press conference," Psaki stated. Adding further the former secretary explained, "I think press conferences are important, but I also think him doing Howard Stern — that’s an interview that reached a broader audience of people. Him talking to the guys from SmartLess, which is a great podcast."
"If you’re in the White House, you’re not thinking about: am I checking the box on doing the most interviews? You’re thinking about: am I doing the most I can do to communicate my message to the American people? That’s who I represent," the former White House official continued. "So I would say more Howard Stern. Come on The View. More SmartLess conversations where you’re having conversations about policy but they’re real ones that people have at their kitchen table," she concluded explaining the nuances and importance of interviews.
According to The New York Times report, White House officials assert that this approach is a conscious strategy aimed at engaging with audiences directly and bypassing traditional news media channels and independent reporters. This allows them to communicate without the filter of political or investigative journalists. Brian Teta, executive producer of The View, hinted in an April interview with Deadline that they're making efforts to bring Biden to the Hot Topics table.
As Psaki, who held the position of Biden’s press secretary from 2021 to 2022, mentioned, conducting interviews in non-traditional settings could resonate with the American public. "I think he will be on. We’re in contact with the White House. We don’t have anything to announce yet. But my hope and really my expectation is that he’ll be here during the election," Teta said. In his initial three years in office, Biden has participated in only 89 interviews and held three press conferences. This stands in contrast to former President Donald Trump's first three years, during which he engaged in 300 interviews and conducted 54 press conferences, marking a notable difference.
