President Joe Biden will give his first network TV interview in more than 100 days during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on June 8.
Biden appeared on Kimmel’s show in 2019, before he secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. He was also a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in December 2021.
The president and First Lady Jill Biden will also host the Summit of the Americas event in Los Angeles this week, according to the White House. They’re expected to be in Southern California until June 10.
World leaders from across the Western Hemisphere will gather to discuss the economy, illegal immigration, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House told The Associated Press. The president will give the opening address on June 9.
Since taking office, Joe Biden has conducted few interviews and press conferences. His first press conference was held about three months after he took office, in April 2021.
Before the appearance on Kimmel’s ABC show, Biden’s last network TV interview was with NBC’s Lester Holt on Feb. 10, meaning that he’s gone more than 118 days without a network TV interview. The president was interviewed by left-wing YouTube host Brian Tyler Cohen in late February and spoke to historian Heather Cox Richardson in March.
Biden called Holt a “wise guy” in the February interview after he was asked about statements from White House officials about inflation being a transitory phenomenon.
“Back in July, you said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is,” Holt said in the interview.
At the time, Biden blamed it on the supply chain crunch, before saying, “Well, you’re being a wise guy with me a little bit, and I understand that’s your job.”
Recent poll numbers indicate that Biden and fellow Democrats have an uphill battle ahead of the 2022 election amid high inflation and record-setting gas prices. Typically, the party of the president loses congressional seats in the forthcoming midterms.
Gas prices are still at record highs with the national average hitting $4.865 on June 6, according to data released by AAA. In April, inflation reached 8.3 percent after hitting 8.5 percent in March. Prices will likely remain a focal point for the 2022 elections.
However, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told ABC’s “This Week” on June 5 that the Biden administration can do little to deal with soaring gas prices. Instead, the blame should be pinned on oil companies, he said.
