Report: Donald Trump to return to Super Bowl stage with CBS interview on Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday will feature an unexpected confluence of three powers rife with conflict: mainstream media, the NFL and President Donald Trump.
CNN reports that Trump will sit down for an interview with CBS’ Margaret Brennan on Friday that will air during the network’s pregame coverage of the Super Bowl.
While mainstream media and the NFL have routinely maintained a symbiotic relationship, Trump’s disdain for both is well-documented.
[Ditch the pen and paper on football’s biggest day. Go digital with Squares Pick’em!]
Trump will have large platform to promote message
As Trump has routinely used media attention around newsworthy moments to make his case for a border wall, it makes sense that he’s taking advantage of a Super Bowl audience as he seeks to promote his message.
How much CBS and Brennan challenge Trump on his message is yet to be seen. Whether he uses the platform to launch another attack on the NFL will also be of note.
Trump shunned NBC last year
Trump turned down NBC’s request last year for an interview, shunning what had recently become tradition for presidential interviews on Super Bowl Sunday. President George W. Bush started the practice, and Barack Obama sat down for a Super Bowl interview every year he was in office, according to CNN.
Trump picked up the tradition during his first year in office when Fox hosted the Super Bowl and provided right-wing pundit Bill O’Reilly, a friendly then-Fox News face to sit down with the president.
When NBC called last year, he said no. The news division of the network that used to host Trump’s “The Apprentice” reality show has become a frequent target of his disdain since he took office.
But with political losses mounting, a platform on CBS seems too appealing for the president to turn down this year.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Saints player still upset: His Pro Bowl shirt says it all
• Golfer loses nearly $100K for questionable penalty
• Funny ending to rain-soaked, blooper-filled Pro Bowl
• Reigning MVP backs out of White House visit
