As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has held few public events while hosting a lot of virtual events.
However, as President Donald Trump has ramped up his attacks on Biden, he has suggested that the former vice president has not been doing many national TV interviews because he would not be able to handle it.
On Sunday, CNNâs Brian Stelter pressed Biden campaign National Press Secretary T. J. Ducklo on the low number of interviews compared to Trump.
He noted that from June through July, Biden conducted 15 interviews while Trump sat for at least 30 interviews during that same time period.
He asked Ducklo, âShouldnât you be providing Biden to the press more often?â
âWell, we had a press conference this week,â Ducklo responded. âAnd since March 1st, Vice President has done nearly 100 interviews with every network including Fox News.â
Ducklo also took a shot at Trumpâs interviews and said that many of them have been with outlets that tend to have more favorable coverage of his administration.
But, Stelter went on to note that during an interview with Fox Newsâ Chris Wallace, Trump claimed Biden would be âon the ground crying for mommyâ if he sat through a tough interview.
Stelter asked why Biden is not doing more interviews and press conferences to âprove wrong.â
âLook what said to Chris Wallace a couple weeks ago. He said âlet Biden sit through an interview like this, heâll be on the ground crying for mommy.â Biden did do an interview on MSNBC the next day, so the idea that Biden canât do an interview is a lie. But heâs going to keep lying. Heâs going to keep saying it for three more months, so why not prove him wrong every day by having daily press conferences and giving daily interviews?â
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Ducklo countered by noting that Trump has done interviews with a much smaller circle of outlets than Biden.
While Stelter said the decision to limit Bidenâs press availability is âan effective campaign strategy,â he said, âI just think that Biden owes the public access all the time, even in the midst of a pandemic.â
âI think we are, absolutely. And I think we are drawing a contrast for folks, that this election is a choice,â Ducklo responded.
He added, âIt is a choice between two candidates. Joe Biden is the polar opposite of Donald Trump in every way and his experience, in his character, in his empathy. We are drawing that contrast.â
Stelter is not the only host to suggest that Biden should conduct more interviews, as IJR reported.
Fox Newsâ Chris Wallace said it is an âopen questionâ whether Biden can âhandle himselfâ during an interview, he added, âYet you gotta feel at some point heâs going to come out from the basement ⌠heâs going to have to be more exposed and take questions just as tough as I asked this president,