President Biden faced scrutiny this week after it was revealed that questions from two radio interviewers were provided in advance by White House aides. The host of “The Source” on WURD in Philadelphia, Andrea Lawful-Sanders, disclosed that she received a list of eight questions prior to her interview with the President.
According to Lawful-Sanders, the White House sent her the questions for approval, and she selected four to ask during the interview. While it is not uncommon for campaigns to share preferred topics with interviewers, Biden’s spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, emphasized that interviewers are free to ask any questions they see fit.
The interviews with Black radio hosts were part of Biden’s efforts to reassure Americans about his mental fitness following a lackluster debate performance. Despite knowing the questions in advance, Biden still stumbled over some of his answers during the interviews.
During the interviews, Biden struggled with his words, mistakenly claiming to have been “the first Black woman to serve with a Black president” and giving a confusing response when asked about the importance of voting. Hosts and journalists expressed surprise and concern over the preapproved questions provided to the President.
The revelation raised questions about the transparency and authenticity of Biden’s interactions with the media. It remains to be seen how the administration will address these concerns moving forward.
