Although President Donald Trump will not be making the trip to watch the Super Bowl in person, he will continue a Super Bowl tradition that former President Joe Biden allowed to lapse.
The tradition of a presidential pre-game interview began in 2004 when former President George W. Bush sat down with CBS, as noted by OutKick.
Former President Barack Obama continued the tradition, as did Trump during three years of his first term. Biden did not participate in 2023 and 2024.
NBC, which Trump did not sit down with in 2018, will be airing its interview with Trump in several pieces, according to USA Today.
Before the interview airs during NBC’s pre-game show on Sunday, parts of the interview will appear on “NBC Nightly News” and on NBC News NOW’s “Top Story with Tom Llamas.”
“Joe Biden declined to be interviewed in 2023 and 2024, citing a desire not to distract from the focus on the game. Yeah, OK,” Armando Salguero wrote on Outkick.
“It says right here it was more likely a Sleepy Joe thing that evinced itself when he was unable to articulate cogent thoughts during his debate with Trump,” he wrote.
In 2024, writing on Outkick, Bobby Burack noted that the refusal was part of a questionable strategy.
“While fans do not clamor to hear Biden, or any president, speak before a football game — the White House’s decision is consistent with a large-scale strategy to keep Biden away from public questioning,” he wrote then. “Biden rarely speaks to the media, other than short pressers that do far more harm than good to the defense that he’s not in cognitive decline.”
Last year, Trump jabbed Biden for not showing up.
“They ask a question, and you give them an answer,” Trump said then, according to CNN. “It’s not that hard.”
Trump said he is not attending because he is less than thrilled about the entertainment, according to the New York Post.
Bad Bunny and Green Day, both of whom have criticized Trump, will be performing.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said.
Trump said bad music was not his only reason for staying away.
“It’s just too far away. I would. I’ve [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me,” Trump said.
“I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter,” he added.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
