President Joe Biden recently sat down for an intimate conversation with shock jock Howard Stern. The interview included Biden recalling his personal tragedy of losing his first wife and daughter.
What Happened: Biden's interview with Stern is among his latest surprise appearances with notable talk show hosts, including an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in February.
During his conversation with Stern, Biden shared how he previously thought about suicide after losing his wife and daughter.
The president also shared insights into his personal life, personal struggles and his law school history. The interview took place on "The Howard Stern Show," which airs on SiriusXM, a unit of Sirius XM Holdings SIRI.
According to Stern's team, the interview wouldn't have happened without the help of Hillary Clinton, as shared by The Hollywood Reporter.
"Believe me, there were a lot of people who were involved in helping this booking… but you know who was super helpful on this? Really, really helpful. Hillary Clinton," Stern's executive producer Gary Dell'Abate said.
Stern was surprised by the comment from his producer on Monday's show, and said he didn't know that Clinton helped make it happen.
"Her people really let Biden's people know this was a good place to be," Dell'Abate said.
Stern's producer said an interview with Biden has been in the works for four years, but it became serious only in the recent three months.
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Why It's Important: While his 2024 election rival Donald Trump has been actively engaged in numerous public speeches and appearances, Biden, as the current president, has been comparatively less visible on the campaign trail until recent months, as he continues to lead the country.
While speaking at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Biden referenced the appearance with Stern in a joke.
"I have higher standards. I do interviews with strong independent journalists who millions of people actually listen to…like Howard Stern," Biden said.
The interview with Biden could follow a similar path that Clinton had, when Stern pitched her team on getting her on the show to talk about non-politics topics and reach a new audience ahead of the 2016 election.
"I thought that if I interviewed with Hillary that she would reach a new audience. What if Hillary had come on and forgotten politics for a second, but what if we could have talked about her humanity, why she got into public service," Stern said during a 2019 appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
Stern interviewed Clinton in December 2019, three years after she lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump.
"There's a segment of my audience that really gets turned on to people they thought they hated because we tap into their humanity."
The recent interviews by Biden with Seth Meyers and Stern could show a more personal side of the president, and also comes as Biden has been seeing asking his campaign team if he is allowed to answer questions.
With the 2024 election expected to be a close battle between Biden and Trump, every vote holds significance, making each media appearance by the candidates a potential opportunity to reach new audiences.
Photo: Shutterstock
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