Biden talks Supreme Court and Russia but also media and McCain in rare network interview

In a rare network interview, President Joe Biden sat down with MSNBC to discuss a wide array of topics, including the Supreme Court, Russian unrest, media criticism, and reminiscing about his friend, the late Republican Senator John McCain from Arizona. Given that Biden has not given as many formal interviews as his predecessors, his appearance in a studio is considered a unique occasion.

The nearly 20-minute dialogue did not only center around pressing matters like the Supreme Court’s recent reversal of affirmative action in college admissions and a revolt in Russia but also branched out into critique of the media and a friendly discourse about McCain.

During the era of former President Donald Trump, interviews with media outlets that showed a bias in his favor and often presented soft or complimentary questions were a topic of criticism. Biden’s last network interview took place on MSNBC in early May.

In this interview, Nicolle Wallace, former White House communications director under President George W. Bush and a participant in McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, initiated the conversation, mentioning the rarity of a sitting president appearing in a network studio.

Biden criticized the Supreme Court for unravelling basic rights and fundamental decisions, notably the affirmative action decision and the overturning of the right to abortion last summer. Despite calls from progressive groups, Biden expressed his disapproval of increasing the number of Supreme Court justices.

He also discussed his re-election campaign, recognizing the less-than-favorable polling numbers and reminded everyone that previous polls had inaccurately predicted the outcomes of both his 2020 presidential campaign and the 2020 general election.

Biden also touched upon the changes in media, hinting at the pressure reporters are under to build their personal brands. When questioned about the Russian revolt, Biden admitted knowing in advance but refused to disclose further information.

Speaking about the late Senator McCain, Biden speculated that he might have been disappointed with the current state of the Republican Party. Wallace ended the interview by inviting Biden back for further discussions.

Later in the day, Biden attended fundraisers in New York for his re-election campaign. However, since his visit was an official one, parts of it were funded by taxpayers.

In response to criticism about the President not doing enough interviews, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained that they seized the opportunity to go in-studio while in New York for official business. She confirmed that this was his first in-studio interview. MSNBC chose not to comment on the interview.

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More about Biden’s network interview

• President Joe Biden’s MSNBC Interview
• The Supreme Court’s Recent Decisions
• Background on John McCain
• Details on the Russian Unrest
• President Biden’s Re-Election Campaign
• Coverage of Media Criticism