Former ESPN host Sage Steele revealed that during a pre-taped interview with President Biden in 2021, she was directed by the network to adhere strictly to a predetermined script. Steele shared her experience in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, describing it as highly regimented.
The March 2021 interview with Biden focused on the sports industry’s return to normalcy despite the COVID-19 pandemic and athletes’ concerns regarding the initial rollout of the vaccine.
However, it gained attention when Biden expressed support for Major League Baseball relocating that year’s All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s voting law.
Former ESPN host Sage Steele (Credits: Fox News)
According to Steele, ESPN executives meticulously scripted every interview aspect, leaving no room for deviation. She emphasized that the questions, word for word, were dictated by numerous executives and underwent extensive scrutiny before the interview.
Steele expressed uncertainty about whether ESPN had shared the questions with the White House beforehand but believed it was likely. She lamented what she perceived as a lack of genuine concern for Biden’s well-being, irrespective of political affiliations.
Sage Steele (Credits: New York Post)
ESPN declined to comment on Steele’s remarks, while The Hill sought a response from the White House. Steele parted ways with ESPN in August of the previous year after nearly 16 years, citing a desire to exercise her freedom of speech more openly.
In 2022, she filed a lawsuit against the network and its parent company, alleging retaliation for comments she made on the “Uncut with Jay Cutler” podcast. During the podcast, Steele criticized her company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which resulted in ESPN sidelining her from programming for a week.
