Colby Hall: Biden ‘Stuttered and Stumbled’ Through Seth Meyers Interview, But Showed ‘Fluency’ on Policy

President Joe Biden stopped by NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday night for a rare TV interview. Mediaite’s Colby Hall appeared on NewsNation’s Morning in America to discuss the friendly conversation and how it may have helped — or hurt — the president.

Speaking with NewsNation’s Markie Martin on Tuesday, Hall noted that it was a predictably “softball” interview between Seth Meyers and Biden, but that the president appeared in the friendly environment because he “needed a win.” And surely, a supportive host and studio audience would help him get it.

But despite the favorable setting, Hall concluded that Biden’s performance was a mixed bag:

There were awkward moments where he stuttered and he stumbled, as is his wont. But then also as he warmed up, he sort of made some jokes and he expressed some fluency on some pretty complicated issues. He hit [former President Donald Trump] hard. So, you know, it was good to see a president actually out there doing an interview, in large part because we never see him in the setting.

The absence of press conferences and Biden’s refusal to sit for an interview with CBS prior to the Super Bowl led Hall to suggest that people will wonder, “Why are they hiding?” from the press.

[T]he fact that he’s not doing as many press conferences and not doing Super Bowl interviews only sort of adds to the narrative that, you know, sort of his handlers are afraid that he’s going to step in it. He’s going to say something wrong, and, again, a problem.

“Do you think last night ended up helping or hurting the White House efforts to neutralize that issue for voters ahead of November?” Martin asked.

“I think that the cake is baked,” Hall replied. “I think it’s pretty clear that most people have decided that one way or the other, the polls suggest that he is too old. He addressed it. He pushed back hard.”

Hall added that Biden’s bit with Amy Poehler and the Dark Brandon meme was a “little cringe,” but as the interview progressed, Biden demonstrated command of the more substantive issues.

“[Overall] I don’t think [the interview] helped him,” Hall concluded. “But I also don’t think it hurt him that much either. So I’d like to see him do more [interviews], and then we can judge them.”

Watch the video above via NewsNation.

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