Biden's media evasion
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President Biden has engaged in fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at this point in their terms, according to an analysis from presidential scholar Martha Joynt Kumar.
Why it matters: Biden, 81, is sitting down for a rare interview with ABC News on Friday amid growing concern about his age and acuity — and accusations that his inner circle has taken pains to hide the president's true condition from public view.
- Biden's media engagement is especially contrasted with former President Trump, who despite demonizing the press, was often willing to talk.
By the numbers: Kumar, professor emerita at Towson University, has tracked press conferences, media interviews and more informal question-and-answer sessions between presidents and small groups of reporters.
- Biden has participated in just 36 press conferences throughout his term — either solo or with other government or foreign leaders. Among the seven most recent presidents, only Ronald Reagan had fewer, at 25.
- Biden has given fewer media interviews than any other president since at least Reagan, with just 125. George W. Bush had the second-fewest with 166.
- The interview category includes various forms of direct conversations with reporters, including phone calls and off-the-record meals.
Yes, but: Biden has been more prolific with the less formal Q&As with select, small "pools" of reporters, engaging in this way more than any other recent president except Trump.
- Kumar counts 588 such sessions for Biden to Trump's 664. Barack Obama had just 103 examples of this kind of press engagement.
- "President Biden has done 45 interviews this year — including with CNN, ABC News, Time and Univision — and engaged in 588 question-and-answer sessions with the White House press corps during his term," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios.
- Biden "is also meeting Americans where they are through innovative digital strategies and constituency and local media," Bates said, adding, "Joe Biden has always stood up for the critical role of the free press in our democracy and looks forward to his next press conference next week."
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