Biden skips traditional Super Bowl interview for second year

(Patria) - Joe Biden will skip the traditional pre-game interview for the CBS television network before Sunday's Super Bowl, which is expected to be the most-watched American football game ever. This is the second year in a row he has opted out of this interview, Reuters reported.

White House officials said earlier this week that they made the decision because Super Bowl viewers want to watch football, not the president. On Saturday, a White House official said Biden declined the interview because CBS would broadcast a short clip, rather than a more complete extended version.

This year's Super Bowl clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is expected to break viewership records in the US. Tickets are on track to be the most expensive ever as pop superstar Taylor Swift may attend to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

A record 200.5 million adults in the US plan to watch the Super Bowl this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Former President George W. Bush started the tradition of the Super Bowl interview, appearing with CBS lead announcer Jim Nantz in 2004 with a light series of questions, mostly about the game.

Biden is bypassing the high-profile interview as his approval rating is below 40%, Democratic allies say Americans are not hearing enough about his achievements, and a report released this week raises questions about his fitness for a second term in the White House.

In a special counsel report written by Republican prosecutor Robert Hur, Biden was described as an "elderly man with a poor memory," which drew a rebuke from the president, who said his "memory is fine." The White House on Friday criticized the report as detached from reality, and Vice President Kamala Harris called it "blatantly political."

When asked about Biden's decision to skip the Super Bowl, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the president will "find many other ways to communicate with... millions of Americans," without providing details.