Biden’s Rocky Media Relations: Presenting a Barrier in his Fight for Democracy?
To many, Donald Trump’s war on the media is one of the most distinctive memories from his presidency. Some might recall the public tirades of calling reporters “fake news,” “the enemy of the people,” and “some of the worst human beings you’ll ever meet.” Others might remember seeing his many re-election campaign lawsuits suing The Washington Post, CNN, and The New York Times for libel of opinions from columnists or his failed attempts to use his federal power in intervening with the businesses of traditional broadcasting.
The concerning nature of these attacks was a central talking point of Trump’s opponents throughout his reelection campaign. With Biden and his campaign framing themselves as a movement back to “decency,” Democrats especially hoped to revert to previous media relations.
However, since Biden’s re-election last June, his public image has begun to weaken. The 81-year-old currently faces record low approval rating numbers for his handling of inflation and immigration, sitting at 39%. General sentiment also has not been on his side, as voters from both sides have questioned his mental fitness when serving as the oldest American president to date. With the pressure of his poor public image and what is expected to be a tight election, the Biden team has developed a Trump-esque, tension-filled relationship with the media.
Just this past October, Biden, visibly frustrated, criticized the media for their portrayal of his handling of American inflation. In his brief remarks to White House reporters, he rips them in, quoting: “All good. Take a look. Start reporting it the right way.” Earlier, upon signing the Inflation Reduction Act in August, Biden had the press in mind when he claimed that “too often we confuse setbacks with defeat” and “hand the biggest microphone to the critics and the cynics who delight in declaring failure.”
Many of his aides have also rushed to criticize the media. During Biden’s Asia trip in September, CNN was swift to post an awkward moment during a press conference, in which press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cut Biden off mid-speech, as worthy news. Biden’s Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton responded on X, “Here on Earth, we saw the President start his day in India at the G20, end the day in Hanoi with a substantive & detailed 40-minute press conference at 9 pm, and continue to answer questions—including from @cnn—as he departed. What will be enough?” On another occasion, White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt took issue with a Daily Beast article criticizing Biden for ending a press conference at 9:30 PM for claiming a need to go to bed. On X, he sarcastically wrote “Presidents shall never sleep. Not even at night after days of marathon meetings overseas.”
Although this dynamic with the media is not what Biden promised, his team has reason to be frustrated. Practically any opportunity they get, the press addresses Biden’s age. In one instance, the New York Times responded to Biden’s decision to begin releasing advertisements for his 2024 campaign with an article creatively titled “As Democratic Jitters Grow, Biden Campaign Tries to Showcase His Vigor.” Releasing campaign advertisements hardly seems age-specific.
Rampant criticism has also been applied to the economy under Biden. Biden had been able to combat an expected COVID-19 recession through the trillions of economic relief and investments through his bold legislative policies. Annual inflation has also been tracked to have fallen from 9.1 percent in June 2022 to 3.1 percent just this November, with Bidenomics proven to create more jobs and opportunities. These statistics have often been under-discussed or analyzed in popular media.
It's understandable that this reporting is a point of sensitivity for Biden because it reflects the views of the American people. 76 percent of Americans are seriously concerned about Biden’s age and ability to serve a second term and 70 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of inflation. It's impossible to tell whether the media is facilitating these beliefs in the public, and Biden's broader public image, or whether reporters are attempting to mirror the pre-existing views of the public. A combination of both is likely present.
However, Biden should be rising above despite the pressure he is facing, in the way his 2020 campaign promised. Calling out the media and disparaging press credibility joins Biden with his predecessor as a means of endangering a fair democracy.
One method of counteracting media perceptions and altering public relations is to interact with the news itself. Yet, Biden is appearing to distance himself from the media, which could allow him to change the narrative and respond to questions of the American people. The Commander in Chief has done the least amount of interviews in the first two years of office since the Reagan Presidency at 54 (Trump gave 202 and Obama gave 275 in the first two years). It is this relationship with the media that not only further questions about his cognitive decline but also raises flags about his devotion to public accountability.
As we embark on a new presidential election year, the Biden campaign must reevaluate its media strategy and if their criticism of the media is worth the distance if it means sacrificing the press accountability they had promised.
Christine Li is a Junior at Millennium Brooklyn High School in New York City. Outside of the blog, she serves as a NGP Lead Fellow.