Evening Report — Biden makes case for second term in rare live interview

by Elizabeth Crisp - 04/26/24 6:09 PM ET

Evening Report

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Biden sits down for rare interview with ‘shock jock’ Howard Stern

President Biden sat down with world-famous “shock jock” Howard Stern for a lengthy live interview on Friday that delved deeply into his personal history and his goals for seeking reelection.

The interview, which aired on “The Howard Stern Show” on Sirius satellite radio, gave the president an opportunity to connect with millions of listeners, as he has largely eschewed interviews with traditional, independent press.

Let’s look at some of the highlights from the interview.

Ready to debate: Former President Trump has been needling Biden in recent weeks for a face-to-face debate before the November election, which will likely serve as a rematch of the 2020 election.

The incumbent said Friday that he’s all for it. “I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him,” he told Stern.

Suicidal thoughts: Stern repeatedly asked Biden to discuss tragedies in his life, including the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi Christina, who died in a car crash in 1972 just weeks before Biden was sworn into the U.S. Senate. The president admitted he considered suicide after their deaths.

“I thought, let me just go to the Delaware Memorial and jump,” Biden said, urging listeners with mental health concerns to seek help.

All in the family: He also said his decision to marry first lady Jill Biden wasn’t his own. His sons, Beau and Hunter, encouraged him to propose.

“Dad, we think we should marry Jill,” he recalled Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, telling him.

The Stern interview followed reports that Biden has rebuffed multiple requests from The New York Times for a sit-down interview.

“Mr. Biden has granted far fewer press conferences and sit-down interviews with independent journalists than virtually all of his predecessors,” the Times said in a statement confirming the reports.

“If the president chooses not to sit down with The Times because he dislikes our independent coverage, that is his right, and we will continue to cover him fully and fairly either way.”

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

CATCH UP QUICK

Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) luggage was stolen from a parked car before a San Francisco dinner party this week.
South Dakora Gov. Kristi Noem wrote in her new book about the time she killed an unruly dog after a bad hunting trip. Democrats called the story “horrifying.”
CDC: Women were infected with HIV after undergoing Kardashian-popularized “vampire facials” at an unlicensed New Mexico spa.
The Biden administration once again pushed back plans to ban menthol cigarettes amid pressure from critics.

NEW THIS AFTERNOON

Trump criminal trial wraps for second week with more testimonies

Former President Trump‘s hush money criminal trial continued in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday, with testimony from longtime secretary Ronna Graff and Gary Farro, the former senior managing director at First Republic Bank, which handled the wire transfer for the alleged $130,000 hush money payment at the center of the case.

Graff confirmed in her testimony that she had held contact information for Trump for Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the two women paid after they allegedly had sex with the then-New York businessman. Trump denies having sexual encounters with either of them.

Graff also said she remembered once seeing Daniels in Trump Tower.

Farro confirmed documents and records surrounding the wire transfer for former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, who arranged the payment to Daniels. First Republic reportedly flagged the transfer as suspicious at the time.

Farro and Graff’s time on the stand followed former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who testified that his publication helped bury bad press about Trump and pushed embarrassing stories about his opponents during the 2016 campaign.

Related coverage:

Trump laments missing Melania’s birthday for trial: “It would be nice to be with her.”
Trump says courthouse being kept too cold “on purpose.”
Ronan Farrow sees “commonality” between Harvey Weinstein, Trump cases

ROYAL WATCH

King Charles to resume public duties after cancer diagnosis

King Charles III will resume public duties after taking a break for cancer treatment and recuperation, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement Friday.

His first public appearance is slated for next week at a cancer treatment center. Questions about the king’s health have continued to pop up since Charles disclosed the news in early February.

“The King and Queen will make a joint visit to a cancer treatment centre next Tuesday, where they will meet medical specialists and patients,” Buckingham Palace said. “This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead.”

The royals are scheduled to meet with Japan’s emperor and empress in June, according to the statement. (The Hill)

SUNDAY SHOWS

Newsmakers who will be on TV this Sunday:

NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

NBC “Meet the Press”: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

CBS “Face the Nation”: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

CNN “State of the Union”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D).

FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

IN OTHER NEWS

Bye-bye TikTok? ByteDance says it won’t sell popular app, despite threat of U.S. ban

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has decided it will not sell the popular video sharing app to keep the platform available the U.S.

The app could be banned under a broader law President Biden signed Wednesday.

The legislation, tucked into a foreign aid package, gives the company a year to sell the popular video app, or be booted from U.S. devices and networks. The proposal was driven by national security concerns, namely that the Chinese government had access to U.S. user data.

ByteDance currently is mulling legal action, claiming the new law is “unconstitutional.”

RELATED: Secretary of State Antony Blinken: China seeks to “influence and arguably interfere” with US elections.

More than 250 musicians call for concert ticketing reform

More than 250 musicians, including Dave Matthews, Diplo, Lorde and Sia, have penned a letter to Congress calling for lawmakers to step into the ticketing biz.

“We know you are hearing from many people about concert ticketing and its impact on fans,” the group wrote in a joint letter this week addressed to Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

“As artists and members of the music community, we rely on touring for our livelihood, and we value music fans above all else,” the letter continues, also signed by Green Day, Billie Eilish and Nile Rodgers, among others. ”We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price.” (The Hill)

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

“In Pennsylvania, Republicans are launching a much-needed early-absentee vote program,” writes Jessica Anderson, president of the Sentinel Action Fund.

“Biden must bring the fight to the battleground states,” writes Brad Bannon, Democratic pollster and CEO of Bannon Communications Research.