Radio Host Reveals Biden Campaign Provided interview Questions, Yet President Still Made Major Gaffe

President Biden faced criticism after a Philadelphia radio host revealed that the Biden campaign had provided her with questions before his appearance on her show.

Andrea Lawful-Sanders, host of “The Source” on WURD, told CNN’s Victor Blackwell on Saturday that she received eight questions from the Biden campaign before interviewing the 81-year-old president. This interview aimed to reassure supporters, especially Black voters, after Biden’s poor debate performance.

Lawful-Sanders, host of “The Source” on WURD, said she got eight questions for the interview on Wednesday. CNN

“The questions were sent to me for approval; I approved of them,” Lawful-Sanders shared on CNN’s “First of All.” Initially, she claimed the questions came from the White House, but a Biden campaign spokesman clarified they were from the campaign.

Holy smokes.

The Biden camp has been pointing to the local radio interviews he did after the debate as evidence that he’s fine, but the radio hosts who conducted those interviews told CNN this morning the questions were scripted and provided by the White House. pic.twitter.com/ttExWKE7Vz

— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 6, 2024

During the interview, Biden stumbled several times, making odd statements such as claiming to be “the first Black woman to serve with a Black president” and asserting he was “the first president that got elected statewide in the state of Delaware when I was a kid.”

He also struggled during another radio appearance on “The Earl Ingram Show” on WMCS in Milwaukee, especially when answering a simple question about the importance of voting.

Blackwell expressed surprise at the revelation of pre-approved questions, noting their similarity to those asked by Ingram in his interview with Biden. He questioned the strategy, suggesting pre-approved questions undermine efforts to showcase the president’s mental acuity.

The Biden campaign defended the practice, stating it is expected to send suggested talking points to interviewers.

“Hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners,” Biden spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said. She added that the president had multiple unscripted interactions, including a press gaggle and an interview with ABC, providing Americans with opportunities to see him unfiltered.

Biden’s appearances on the Black radio stations were intended to reassure Democrats about his capability to serve another term.

However, the scripted nature of the interviews and Biden’s apparent difficulties raised further questions about his cognitive abilities.