Former ESPN host Sage Steele sparked controversy this week by alleging that her 2021 interview with President Joe Biden was heavily “scripted” by her former employer.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Steele claimed that the interview was so “structured” that she felt compelled to follow a strict “script” provided by ESPN bosses.
“It was an interesting experience because it was so structured,” Steele revealed. “I was instructed, ‘You will say every word that we write out, you will not deviate from the script, and go.'”
Her remarks drew a sharp response from one of her former ESPN colleagues, Keith Olbermann, who criticized Steele for what he perceived as a lack of intelligence.
“Of COURSE it was scripted. If it hadn’t been Sage Steele – the dumbest person I’ve ever worked with in sports or news – couldn’t have gotten through it,” Olbermann remarked on social media.
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Steele further detailed that “every single question” she posed to the President had been predetermined and scripted.
“It was very much ‘This is what you will ask. This is how you will say it. No follow-ups, no follow-ups,'” she explained.
The interview, conducted in March 2021, primarily focused on the gradual return to normalcy in sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, vaccines were being distributed widely, prompting discussions among athletes and fans regarding safety protocols for stadiums and live events.
Steele’s departure from ESPN occurred following her criticism of the company’s COVID vaccine mandate, which she described as “sick” and “scary” during an appearance on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast.
