Column: Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedian Cuddle with Biden

President Biden hasn’t granted an interview to a news outlet since February 10. Some might energetically assert these four months of avoidance ended on June 8 when Biden sat down on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. This 24-minute soak in a sponge bath should not be considered a news interview. The conversation was more friendly at the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

The only way you could consider Kimmel “tough” on Biden is complaining, like other Democrats, that “we” voted in droves and “we” have the majorities in Congress and yet “we’ve made very little progress” on the liberal agenda of abortion, climate change, and “voting rights.” This might explain why Kimmel joked in his introduction “I am proud to say I voted for him dozens of times.”

Biden was slightly less political than December last year, when Jimmy Fallon (NBC) gave Biden 16.5 minutes for him to release all of his talk points in order that they could be aired across the network’s news programs.

Conservatives said that it should anger the media that President Obama skips news interviews in favor of talking to comedians. However, the networks broadcast a lot of clips that sound positive and praise Biden’s wisdom for avoiding questions. You can read more CBS Mornings White House reporter Ed O’Keefe ran Kimmel clips and explained “The president appears to be trying to connect with Americans on a more personal level. Something many White House hopefuls have done for decades on late-night TV.”

Before the Kimmel interview aired, CNN media analyst Bill Carter cheerfully reported it would “give him a forum where he can be relaxed and maybe have some laughs and joke around, and  it will be a positive thing for him.” Carter added Biden could use “a bit of exposure that may not be too challenging for him.”

CNN thinks it’s fine that Biden skips Anderson Cooper and everyone else there because it’s “too challenging for him.”  

It was simple. Kimmel also asked Biden whether Senators shouldn’t all be required to meet with Texas families who lost children. He asked about how Republicans won’t play ball: “It’s like you’re playing Monopoly with somebody who won’t pass “Go,” won’t follow any of the rules, and how do you ever make any progress if they’re not following the rules?”    

It’s pretty funny, since Democrats want to abolish the Electoral College, scrap the filibuster, and pack the Supreme Court. Kimmel and Biden did not mention the unsuccessful assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

On abortion, Kimmel’s “question” was “Boy, these things just keep coming at you, don’t they? You have a horrible job. I’m glad you’re doing it, but boy oh boy, does this seem like a bad gig.”

Kimmel didn’t ask about inflation. Biden brought it up unassisted – to make an argument for slapping price controls on insulin.

The economy, rising crime, a border crisis – all of these make Biden and the Democrats unpopular. Kimmel couldn’t help but complain about the ignorance of the public. Perhaps Americans lack the knowledge they need, or perhaps there’s some death star pumping fake information into their brains.

Biden shot back: “Fox, right?”

But Biden hates dealing with the press overall, complaining to Kimmel “even the really good reporters, they have to get a number of clicks on nightly news. So instead of asking a question … anyway – it’s just, everything gets sensationalized.”

He’d rather just stick to interviews with obsequious comedians like Kimmel who polish his aviator sunglasses and compare him to Tom Cruise.