Later this afternoon, five of the most prominent anchors on television will gather outside the Oval Office and wait their turn for 10 minutes with the President of the United States.
ABC’s Charlie Gibson, CBS’ Katie Couric, NBC’s Brian Williams, CNN’s Anderson Cooper and FOX News Sunday’s Chris Wallace will go in one-by-one to talk to President Barack Obama as part of a media push by the President regarding his stimulus plan.
“I’ve never been in something like this,” Wallace tells TVNewser today. “I assume it’ll be like baseball. When there’s about five minutes left, the next person starts warming up.”
Wallace starts warming up around 4:25pmET, and interviews the President last. “We were delighted and think the President and the White House staff are doing the right thing including FOX in the rotation,” he says. As for going last: “I’ll try to get extra time.”
Wallace’s interview will be turned around quickly and air in full on Special Report with Bret Baier at 6pmET. His last interview with the President came after 772 days of “Obama Watch” on FOX News Sunday (pictured).
“We certainly have kept track, and he’s done a lot of interviews since his last one on FOX News Sunday and since the election without coming on FOX. Al Arabiya got one before we did,” says Wallace. “But today, I have no complaints.”
As for what will be asked, there’s no shortage of news today, with Tom Daschle’s nomination withdrawal breaking this afternoon. “It’s a good day to be interviewing the President,” he says.