The long-standing tradition of a presidential interview airing before the Super Bowl is making a comeback this year, thanks to President Donald Trump, as reported by Poynter.
Fox News’ Bret Baier is set to conduct the sit-down, which will air during the extensive pregame coverage. The interview will be pre-recorded, with additional segments airing the next day on Baier’s program, Special Report, as well as on Fox News’ website.
Fox News confirmed that the conversation will center on the Trump administration’s policy changes since his return to the White House, along with his first 100 days in office.
The Super Bowl presidential interview began in 2004, when CBS’ Jim Nantz spoke with then-President George W. Bush in a lighthearted exchange focused on sports and the significance of the event.
The tradition continued, but it wasn’t until Barack Obama’s presidency that these interviews became more overtly political. One of the most contentious interviews occurred in 2014, when Bill O’Reilly grilled Obama on Benghazi.
From that point forward, presidential interviews on Super Bowl Sunday became a high-stakes political game.
Trump famously declined to participate in the 2018 interview when NBC’s Lester Holt was set to host. Meanwhile, Joe Biden initially kept the tradition alive with interviews on CBS and NBC during his first two years but refused to participate in 2023 and 2024.
When Fox hosted in 2023, Biden predictably avoided sitting down with a conservative-leaning interviewer. The following year, even with CBS hosting, Biden still ducked out. It’s no surprise—his handlers were likely afraid of another incoherent disaster.
There was a time when these interviews seemed like a golden opportunity for a president to reach a massive audience. The Super Bowl itself regularly attracts over 100 million viewers.
However, the pregame show—where the interview actually airs—draws a fraction of that audience. Most football fans tuning in aren’t looking for political discourse; they just want to enjoy the game.
Still, it’s a brief moment in the national spotlight, and Trump clearly recognizes its value. This marks the third time he’s agreed to be interviewed before the big game. His first Super Bowl interview in 2017 was conducted by Bill O’Reilly, and his second in 2020 featured Sean Hannity.
