On Monday night, President Joe Biden made a rare appearance on the late-night talk show "Late Night with Seth Meyers."
This interview comes as a surprise to many, as Biden typically avoids sit-down interviews and solo press conferences. However, it seems that his handlers saw fit to have him appear on the show, where the audience is known to be friendly and the host even more so. The segment was pre-recorded, allowing the production team to edit out any embarrassing moments before it aired.
Despite the efforts of Biden's team to paint the interview as a success, it seems that it did not resonate with a key demographic. According to Nielsen Media Research, the interview brought in 852,000 average total viewers, with only 181,000 viewers in the 25-54 age demographic. This marks a 32% drop compared to the same day last year and is in line with the show's declining viewership this year, which is down 10% year-to-date.
While Biden's team may spin the interview as a win, it has been met with criticism from media and TV critics. Variety's Daniel D'Addario described Biden's performance as "a bit lost" and highlighted the challenge of expectations for a man in his 80s who is not accustomed to leveraging the entertainment industry for his own purposes. However, he also noted that Biden stayed on message, occasionally volleying back jokes made to him, and remaining alive in the end.
The interview itself was a Festival of Fail, from start to finish, which was evident even in the pre-recorded and edited version that aired. Biden's deputy press secretary, Andrew Bates, tried to portray it as a "win" by tweeting a staged clip of Biden in sunglasses, pointing to the supposed audience approval. Joy Behar of "The View" also praised the interview, stating that it would resonate with voters after the audience applauded like seals.
It's beyond refreshing to see that younger viewers also find Seth Meyers to be patently insufferable.
The show only drew 852,000 viewers despite having POTUS on during an election year.
Context: Gutfeld drew nearly 2.2 million on the same night, or nearly triple the audience. https://t.co/vmbTGlcRyf
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) February 28, 2024
However, the ratings prove otherwise, with the interview failing to score a win for the NBC program, particularly with younger viewers. This could be attributed to the lackluster performance by Biden, who struggled to string together coherent sentences and seemed uncomfortable throughout the interview.
D'Addario noted that Biden, unlike the two political outsiders before him, is a creature of Washington and is unimpressed by the entertainment industry. This may have hindered his ability to connect with the audience and leverage the platform for his benefit.
So, was Biden's appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" a success? It seems that even for Biden himself, as well as for viewers, it has been a long 10 years. However, despite the skepticism, Biden managed to stay alive and on message during the interview, which could be seen as a small victory in itself. But with the decline in ratings and the criticism it has received, it may not have the game-changing impact that his team hopes for during an election year. Only time will tell if this rare late-night appearance will have any lasting effect on Biden's presidency.