A second consecutive Super Bowl snub from the president even left a CNN anchor wondering, “What is he afraid of…”
(Video: CNN)
The paradox of President Joe Biden being absolved of wrongdoing for mishandling classified documents as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” yet somehow remaining fit to hold office, was not wholly overlooked by CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Joined by California Rep. Robert Garcia (D) Friday on “The Lead,” the host raised the topic of the report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, comments made during Biden’s press conference in response as well as other recent lapses where he’d referenced dead world leaders in place of their contemporaries before turning to the decision not to partake in the pre-Super Bowl interview.
“He’s not doing the traditional Super Bowl interview with the network that’s hosting the Super Bowl, which this year is CBS. I understand not doing it last year with Fox,” suggested Tapper noting last year’s snub. “This year it’s CBS and he’s not doing that. That sends a signal to people. What is he afraid of when it comes to doing that interview?”
“He’s not afraid of anything,” Garcia replied. “First, the president’s got a busy schedule. I mean, who cares if he’s not doing the Super Bowl interview? He just yesterday did a primetime press conference. He spoke to House Democrats during the day, he’s traveling the country, he’s working on legislation.”
“We’ve got multiple international conflicts across the globe,” he added.
Tapper did not readily drop the subject as he made note of an anticipated broader audience, resulting from pop star Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, amid an election year where the president has maintained dreadful favorability numbers.
“It’s not that people care about it — whether or not he does the Super Bowl interview — it’s a missed opportunity to speak to tens of millions of Americans. And I have it under good authority that this year there are gonna be a lot of Swifties watching. That’s a lot of women, and men, who might not normally be watching football who all of a sudden would see him,” said the anchor.
Leading up to that exchange, Tapper had presented Biden’s recent slips, which included mentioning Mexico as bordering Gaza instead of Egypt, as he raised the issue of poor polling from the left.
“Forget what Robert Hur said in the report. This is President Biden speaking publicly. Do you understand why some Democrats — according to polls, a majority of Democrats — are concerned?”
Instead of acknowledging the concerns that predated Biden’s presidential election, Garcia chose to gaslight as he asserted, “There should be no concern. Here’s the reality. President Biden, who I’ve been around numerous times just in this last year, is sharp, he’s focused, he’s bright, he’s experienced and with age also comes incredible wisdom. This is the most prepared person ever to be president of the United States.”
The optics, however, were unavoidable, and social media sounded off to that end.
Lot of damage control going on today. We are not fools.
— Snarkio (@Snarkio_) February 9, 2024
the man who cant find his way off stage, shakes hands with people who are not there and cant put two coherent sentences together is the best choice for president? nope he is a train wreck from hell
— Tim Oprisko (@netlozh) February 10, 2024
Joe is to feeble & has memory lost to be prosecuted but can be potus? Do you ppl even know how silly & intellectually stupid this sounds
— Smokey (@Smokey32734739) February 9, 2024
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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