Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele revealed that an interview she conducted with President Joe Biden had been scripted “to the word” and that she was told not to deviate from her script at all during the segment.
The interview in question happened on March 31, 2021, approximately two months after the president began his term in the White House. In reflecting on her interview, Steele described it as “an interesting experience in its own right” because of how scripted it was.
“To the word, like, every single question was scripted, gone over dozens of times by many executives, editors and executives,” Steele said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Absolutely. I was on script and was told not to deviate. It was very much ‘This is what you will ask. This is how you will say it. No follow-ups, no follow-ups. Next.’”
Steele added that her interview with Biden had gone up to “the fourth floor,” referring to where ESPN’s president and top executives worked and made decisions.
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The former ESPN anchor also said she thought it was “heartbreaking” for the president from a humanitarian perspective, questioning why the people who care for Biden would allow him to “get to this point.” The comment comes after a report from special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
Steele left ESPN in August so that she could “exercise my first amendment rights more freely.” Her departure follows being suspended by the network in October 2021 over comments she made regarding former President Barack Obama and the network’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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Since leaving ESPN, Steele has launched The Sage Steele Show, which is the first podcast on comedian Bill Maher’s new podcast network. Maher said he launched the network to promote “authenticity from unfiltered celebrity voices.”
The Washington Examiner has contacted ESPN for comment.
