A Philadelphia radio host has been fired after conducting a softball post-debate interview with Joe Biden, which raised suspicions about possible coordination with his campaign to avoid tough questions.
The interview aired last Thursday morning.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who hosted a regular program on the urban radio station WURD, was placed on leave after admitting she accepted predetermined questions from the Biden campaign before the interview.
Despite the coordinated effort to go easy on Joe Biden and make him appear mentally sharp in the post-debate interview, it was still a disaster.
Biden told Andrea Lawful-Sanders that he’s proud to be the first “black woman” to serve with a “black president.”
“And by the way, I’m proud to be – as I’ve said – the first Vice President – first black woman to serve with a black president,” Biden said.
Listen:
Biden tells a Philadelphia radio station that he's "proud" to be "the first black woman to serve with a black president" 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kP5J7Q9lYy
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 4, 2024
Appearing on CNN, Lawful-Sanders explained, “The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them. I got several questions. Eight of them and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved.”
“If the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the President I don’t know how they do that by sending questions first before the interview so that the President knows what’s coming,” CNN host, Victor Blackwell said.
Watch:
WOW. The radio host who interviewed Joe Biden says that the White House provided the questions for the interview. CNN's Victor Blackwell: "If the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the President I don't know how they do that by sending questions first… pic.twitter.com/5BCQh12yft
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) July 6, 2024
According to the New York Times, Lawful-Sanders was asked to resign hours after the uproar, which garnered national media attention.
The station’s leadership was not aware of the coordination between Lawful-Sanders and the Biden campaign, according to president and CEO of WURD Radio, Sara Lomax,
“On July 3, the first post-debate interview with President Joe Biden was arranged and negotiated independently by WURD Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders without knowledge, consultation or collaboration with WURD management. The interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners. As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately,” WURD said in a statement on Sunday.
“WURD Radio remains an independent voice that our audience can trust will hold elected officials accountable. As Pennsylvania’s only independent Black-owned talk radio station, WURD Radio has cultivated that trust with our audience over our 20-year history. This is something we take very seriously. Agreeing to a pre-determined set of questions jeopardizes that trust and is not a practice that WURD Radio engages in or endorses as a matter of practice or official policy.” – The radio station said.
