FOR FREE PEOPLE

Free Press Readers Saw This Coming

FOR FREE PEOPLE

Biden's address from the Oval Office on July 14, 2024, the day after a man attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. (@WhiteHouse/YouTube)

The Questions Our President Must Now Answer

This evening, Joe Biden will sit down with NBC’s Lester Holt. I’ve crafted high-stakes interviews before. Here’s what Holt should ask.

This piece was first published in our news digest, The Front Page. To get our latest scoops, investigations, and columns in your inbox every morning, Monday through Thursday, become a Free Press subscriber today:

Subscribe now

This evening, President Biden will sit down for his first interview since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. It will be his second interview since his disastrous debate performance, but arguably, this interview with NBC’s Lester Holt is maybe the most important of Biden’s presidency—and an opportunity for Holt to make not just news, but history. 

As a reporter and producer, I have crafted high-stakes interview questions for journalists, including at The New York Times, where I co-created The Daily podcast; at The Free Press; and for my own show, Reflector. If I were writing questions for Holt, here’s what I’d advise him to ask Biden: 

  1. Both you and President Trump have continually attacked one another personally and made sweeping claims about the dangers that will befall our country if you lose this election. You have said repeatedly that Trump is a dangerous man who will use his power to “systematically dismantle and destroy our democracy.” In light of the attempt on President Trump’s life, will you pledge today to tone down your rhetoric? Or do you stand by your words?

  1. You ran in 2020 with a pledge to unite the country, but under your leadership the country has continued to see increasing political polarization. You have repeatedly called some of your opponent’s supporters “MAGA-extremists” and said that “MAGA forces are trying to move the country backwards” and take away the rights of citizens, including the right to vote. Do you think these claims have helped further divide the country you pledged to unite? 

  1. Many members of the Democratic party regularly liken President Trump to a dictator, saying he poses an existential threat to the country. What would you like to say to members of your party tonight?

  1. In 2022 a man was caught by the FBI attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He planned on killing several other conservative members of the Supreme Court. You have spent the last several years repeatedly attacking the judicial branch and their rulings, using increasingly sharp rhetoric and strongly implying the court is a danger to the country. Do you think this contributes to the problem of Americans seeing their fellow countrymen less like political opponents and more like their mortal enemies?

  1. In recent weeks many in the country and several even within your own party have had questions about your mental acuity and ability to do this job for the remainder of your term, let alone for four-and-a-half more years. And yet you’ve refused to take a mental fitness exam. Why not get the exam if you are not worried about what it would reveal?

And, to my mind, the most important question of the night:

  1. You’ve said that your campaign is not about you but democracy. But almost all national polls conducted over the past year show that a vast majority of American people do not want you as the next president. They believe you are no longer fit to do this job. How can you claim to be running to defend democracy while at the same time, knowing you are running despite the will of the people?

Andy Mills is a reporter and host of Reflector, a documentary show. He is formerly of The New York Times, where he co-created The Daily podcast.

our Comments

Use common sense here: disagree, debate, but don't be a .

the fp logo
comment bg

Welcome to The FP Community!

Our comments are an editorial product for our readers to have smart, thoughtful conversations and debates — the sort we need more of in America today. The sort of debate we love.   

We have standards in our comments section just as we do in our journalism. If you’re being a jerk, we might delete that one. And if you’re being a jerk for a long time, we might remove you from the comments section. 

Common Sense was our original name, so please use some when posting. Here are some guidelines:

  • We have a simple rule for all Free Press staff: act online the way you act in real life. We think that’s a good rule for everyone.
  • We drop an occasional F-bomb ourselves, but try to keep your profanities in check. We’re proud to have Free Press readers of every age, and we want to model good behavior for them. (Hello to Intern Julia!)
  • Speaking of obscenities, don’t hurl them at each other. Harassment, threats, and derogatory comments that derail productive conversation are a hard no.
  • Criticizing and wrestling with what you read here is great. Our rule of thumb is that smart people debate ideas, dumb people debate identity. So keep it classy. 
  • Don’t spam, solicit, or advertise here. Submit your recommendations to tips@thefp.com if you really think our audience needs to hear about it.
Close Guidelines

Latest