Biden gives fewer press interviews. But he woos more influencers.


October 17, 2023

The Washington Post

TikToker Daniel Mac has attracted more than 14 million followers in two years by asking drivers of fancy cars, “What do you do for a living?” He’s interviewed Cheech & Chong in an Impala, Jay Leno in a Maserati, and other celebrities in their own swanky rides. His most popular subject yet: President Biden.

As Biden pulled up in a Cadillac Lyriq at last year’s Detroit Auto Show for a prearranged exchange, Mac observed that “your car’s awesome!” and asked what Biden does for a living. “I’m married to Jill Biden,” the president said. “And I make sure we’re making a lot more electric vehicles in America.”

The brief video went viral, reaching 38 million people.

In his first two and a half years as president, Biden has held fewer news conferences than his predecessors. He has given fewer interviews to major news organizations, despite his promise to restore traditional press relations after the Donald Trump era...

Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief and now a George Washington University media professor, said it remains unclear how well the White House strategy is working, given Biden’s stalled popularity ratings, but that the goal is apparently to limit his exposure to unpredictable situations.

Read the full article in the Washington Post.