Axelrod: Biden skipping Super Bowl interview last year ‘major sign of trouble’

Democratic strategist David Axelrod criticized former President Biden for missing out on opportunities to reach American voters after he skipped the 2024 traditional presidential interview ahead of the Super Bowl. 

Ahead of the Sunday’s game pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles, President Trump sat down with Fox News host Bret Baier, where they talked about the game, Canada and the recent Trump administration actions. 

“A year ago, Biden refused the traditional Super Bowl interview and the unparalleled audience it would have yielded,” Axelrod posted to X. “That bewildering decision was a major sign of trouble.” 

“Trump is all over it today,” he added. 

Last year, Biden opted to not sit with CBS for a pre-game interview. It was the second consecutive year he didn’t participate in the tradition. 

As with each Super Bowl, millions of people would tune in, but there was a particular buzz around the 2024 game. Pop star Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs, were debuting their relationship, and it was one of the largest sporting events in the country ahead of the 2024 election, in which Biden was still in running. 

Fellow Democratic strategist James Carville said Biden not accepting the interview was a “sign” that his administration had little confidence in him. It came amid conversations surrounding Biden’s cognitive abilities and special counsel Robert Hur’s report on the former president. 

After former Vice President Harris’s election loss to Trump last year, strategists examined her media approach. It was largely viewed that she also had several missed opportunities to reach voters, when Trump capitalized on every chance.