US President Joe Biden has joked that a potential 2024 endorsement by Taylor Swift is a "classified" matter as he made a rare media appearance to mark the 10th anniversary of Late Night With Seth Meyers.
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Biden's arrival was nominally a surprise to the audience: he stepped on stage after the announced guest - comedian and actor Amy Poehler - noted Biden had been a guest on Meyers' first show when he was vice-president.
"It's good to be back," Biden told Meyers.
"Why haven't you invited me earlier?"
Going into this year's presidential election, Biden is seeking additional ways to reach out to voters, having largely avoided White House news conferences and sit-downs with text reporters.
Meyers quizzed Biden about a conspiracy theory spread among some conservatives on social media that Swift and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce are part of an elaborate plot to help Democrats win the November election.
"Can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy between you and Miss Swift?" Meyers asked.
"Where are you getting this information, it's classified," Biden retorted to the NBC talk show host, adding Swift endorsed him for president in 2020.
Biden, at 81 the oldest-ever US leader, also addressed concerns about his age, saying, "You got to take a look at the other guy, he's about as old as I am, but he can't remember his wife's name."
It was an apparent reference to Donald Trump's appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend, when the former president praised his wife Melania and also referenced "Mercedes" - Mercedes Schlapp, his former aide who helps run the group and was in the audience.
Some on social media, as well as Meyers in his monologue, suggested Trump had used the wrong name for his wife.
Biden said what truly mattered was "how old your ideas are" and proceeded to blast Trump and Republicans for supporting rolling back abortion access and other policies that have been "solid American positions" for decades.
The president also criticised Trump for praising those who took part in the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, and for pledging to pardon those who assaulted police officers and tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
"That's what happens in eastern European countries," Biden said.
"That's not what happens in America."
Australian Associated Press
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