Washington CNN —
President Joe Biden is showing signs of being less constrained by campaign scrutiny as he approaches the lame-duck period of his first and final term in office.
On Wednesday, he took some time out to tune into “The View.”
Joining ABC’s flagship talk show’s more free-form format marks a change of direction for the president, who in July gave two key network interviews to defend his job performance as he fights for his political future. Freed from the pressures of a campaign, especially the constant and focused attention on his age and gaffes, the president has been making more unscripted appearances and ones focused on shoring up his accomplishments.
“Joe Biden is back to being the down-to-earth, honest person we all knew,” one former Biden aide said.
The implicit understanding is that the future of Biden’s policy legacy is directly tied to Harris’ success in November. A White House official said the president’s strategy in the weeks leading up to the election is “to do everything I can to help my partner, Vice President Harris, get elected for the remainder of the term, and to meet the American people where they are and communicate what we’re going to get done for them.”
Biden was expected to focus less on Harris’ candidacy and more on his own accomplishments during the “The View” interview, including implementing important legislation, defending decades-old Violence Against Women laws and a broader “unity agenda” including access to mental health, caring for veterans and working to end cancer, according to a separate source familiar with the interview. Biden, however, spoke candidly about his decision to step down and heartily praised Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I’m happy with my decision,” he said to thunderous applause from the audience, with co-host Sara Haines likening it to “having The Beatles sitting at a table”.
This focus may be aimed at creating a strategic divide between the president and his former running mate: An NBC News national poll released earlier this week found that 40% of voters said they were more concerned that Harris would continue with the same approach as Biden.
He will also be appearing soon on the “A Bit of Optimism” podcast to discuss leadership with host Simon Sinek.
Biden was grilled by “The View” hosts, who represent a wide range of political views, on his relationship with Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Wednesday marked Biden’s 10th appearance on the show and his first interview since announcing his 2020 presidential bid.
“It was a very smart move for him to appear on the show and I’m surprised he didn’t do it sooner, especially while he was running for office. The View is the highest-rated daytime show, reaches millions of households and skews female,” a source familiar with the show’s appearance said.
“It’s the perfect place for him to tout the work he’s done and give a boost to Kamala Harris,” the source added.
White House officials insist the communications strategy has not changed, but one official acknowledged that the directive to revamp tactics came directly from Biden.
“The president wants to get out there and shake things up. He has directed his team to aggressively implement his policies, travel to highlight the Biden-Harris record and communicate directly with the American people about the impact of these policies,” the official said.
In the two months since Biden dropped out of the race, he has become much more willing to interact with reporters in more informal settings, such as at Marine One landings and other White House events. He has taken questions from reporters 22 times since announcing his withdrawal on July 21.
By contrast, Biden had taken questions from reporters privately seven times in the previous two months and held three formal news conferences.
Former President Donald Trump changed the rhythm of informal Q&A sessions during his presidency by engaging in frequent “helicopter talks” with reporters, and Biden has largely followed suit, with a slightly smaller but still significant number of informal meetings, according to data from Martha Joynt Kumar, a scholar of White House communications and presidential transitions.
Still, the president has remained largely absent from the media in the intervening years. In mid-August, he spoke on “CBS Sunday Morning” about his decision to step down and his concerns about the future of democracy. Earlier this month, he gave the first interview as president to LGBTQ+ outlet The Blade. He also appeared on the syndicated radio show “Dede in the Morning” to praise Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sinek’s podcast will give Biden an opportunity to learn more about how he thinks about his career and will share his views on leadership and hope.
His appearances on “The View” and “A Bit of Optimism” are in line with a long-standing media goal of the White House and former Biden campaign: to meet Americans — and voters — where they are, both on traditional platforms, from the evening news shows to late-night shows, and on digital platforms, including social media engagement, according to sources.
Biden, meanwhile, has shown himself truly free in this new, less scripted era, cracking jokes and improvising both on the road and at the White House.
He visited Philadelphia last week for a conference at historically black colleges and universities, where he spent equal parts speaking via teleprompter to event attendees and regaling the overflowing room afterwards with old stories about Biden.
On September 11, Trump wore a red Trump hat and met with family members of the Shanksville Fire Department, creating a poignant moment on an otherwise solemn day of memorial services.
And while stopping by a White House conference for digital creators last month, he joked that he’d invited them because “I’m looking for work.”
“You’re a news source and these days more people want to be in your industry than other industries. Where do you think I’ll go when I retire? I’ve got connections,” he said with a laugh.
