Former vice president Joe Biden appeared on ABC's This Week Sunday, his first interview on a major Sunday morning program in more than three years.
His taped appearance with anchor George Stephanopoulos did not just mark his first interview on the Sunday morning circuit since launching his 2020 bid in April. Biden's 1,155-day streak stretches further back, to when Jake Tapper last interviewed him for CNN's State of the Union on Dec. 11, 2016.
Biden admitted during his appearance that he faces an "uphill fight" in this week's New Hampshire primary, where he is staring at another disappointing showing after likely finishing in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses. He also discussed the attack ad he released Saturday against former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg for his lack of experience.
Washington Free Beacon archives show the last time Biden appeared on This Week was July 31, 2016. His last appearance on CBS's Face The Nation was Oct. 30, 2016, and his last time on Meet The Press was Oct. 16, 2016. Fox News told the Free Beacon Biden hasn't appeared on Fox News Sunday for an interview since Sept. 16, 2007, more than a year before his election to the vice presidency.
While Biden has made other media appearances as a presidential candidate—such as an interview in October for CBS's Sunday night news magazine 60 Minutes—his avoidance of the Sunday morning shows had drawn criticism from the media. CNN host Jake Tapper called Biden out for skipping the shows at the conclusion of his interview last week with Buttigieg. CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter in September also criticized Biden for not doing Sunday shows.