WASHINGTON- The White House and Fox Corp. are embroiled in a public dispute over the terms of a traditional pre-Super Bowl interview with President Joe Biden.
In the last 10 hours, the White House and Fox have issued a series of contradictory statements: the interview had been cancelled; I was back; it’s not happening anymore.
Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted shortly before noon Biden «was expecting an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues affecting the daily lives of African-Americans. We were informed that Fox Corp has requested the interview to be cancelled».
Fox later said that the interview was back on after «some initial confusion».
“After the White House reached out to FOX Soul on Thursday night, there was some initial confusion. FOX Soul looks forward to interviewing the president by Super Bowl Sunday,» a Fox Corporation spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the interview would be conducted by actress Vivica A. Fox, who is the host of Fox Soul’s «Cocktails with Queens» and «Fox Soul’s Screening Room,» and Mike Hill, a personality and contributor to Fox Soul and FS1 sportscaster.
But late Friday, the White House again said Fox had canceled the interview, adding that the company’s latest statement was «inaccurate.»
“As we stated earlier, we had arranged an interview with FOX Sports Host Mike Hill and Vivica A. Fox with the President before the Super Bowl and Fox Corp has canceled the interview,” a White House official said in a statement to NBC News. . «FOX has since issued a statement indicating that the interview was rescheduled, which is inaccurate.»
The Super Bowl Presidential Reunion Goes Back Decades, Even Under Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. The interview, which often touches on lighter topics suitable for a mass football audience, became commonplace under then-President Barack Obama. Donald Trump also participated in the interview every year he was in office, except for 2018, when NBC hosted the game.
Fox is broadcasting Super Bowl 2023, which will take place on Sunday in Phoenix between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fox Soul, a broadcast network within Fox Corp., describes itself on its website as “a new live, interactive broadcast channel dedicated to the African-American viewer. The programs aim to celebrate Black culture and address real issues that impact the daily lives of the Black community through candid and insightful dialogue with local and national influencers.”
Biden previously sat down for Super Bowl interviews in 2021 with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell and in 2022 with NBC’s Lester Holt.
Kelly O’Donnell, Sally Broston, dareh gregorian and Allie Raffa contributed.