Former Vice President Joe Biden, who promised to keep the Trump Administration accountable on its response to the coronavirus pandemic in daily “shadow briefings,” has cancelled his live-streamed address for Wednesday after a series of media mishaps.
Yahoo News’ Hunter Walker announced on social media Wednesday that Biden had decided against an address because he’d already commanded enough airtime on CNN and ABC’s The View.
“Joe Biden cancelled his online press briefing that was scheduled today after making appearances on CNN and The View. His campaign says he will do the briefing again tomorrow,” Baker wrote.
The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has largely disappeared from the headlines, and most upcoming primaries have either been cancelled or delayed, as Americans shelter in place amid a coronavirus pandemic. Fearing that he has no role in the national coronavirus response, unlike his rival for the nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Biden launched his “shadow briefings” in the hopes that he could overtake President Donald Trump’s daily press conferences — or at least present an opportunity to refute the president’s statements on the virus.
As Politico noted, however, in Biden’s first address the former Veep “was staid and somber, even as his remarks were marred by a few minor real-time snafus and slip-ups.”
“It wasn’t riveting TV,” the outlet noted. “And the speech barely made a blip.”
The subsequent media blitz was worse.
In an appearance on MSNBC, the former Vice President appeared to lose track of his whereabouts and suddenly began talking to himself, despite prompts from host Nicole Wallace. At one point, Biden called his remarks “a stupid way to say it,” causing an awkward silence between himself and Wallace, which ended only when Wallace suggested he repeat his analysis of the president’s leadership.
“No, no, probably best I don’t,” Biden replied.
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