A radio station in the United States has “parted ways” with a host who admitted to asking President Joe Biden questions that were given to her by his team. WURD Radio in Philadelphia confirmed this on Sunday.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who used to host “The Source” on WURD 96.1 FM, had the first interview with Biden after the recent debate.
But on Saturday, she told CNN’s “First of All with Victor Blackwell” that Biden’s team gave her eight questions in advance, and she used four of them in her interview with the president.
Sara Lomax, WURD Radio’s president and CEO, said she had no part in organizing the interview.
“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,” Lomax said.
WURD is the only Black-owned talk radio station in Pennsylvania, according to its website.
Many people were surprised that the White House was involved in setting questions for a campaign interview.
“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,” Lomax added.
“Black media has a long history of advocating for the interests of the Black community,” Lomax continued. “This practice of de-legitimizing Black voices continues today. WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other administration.”
Even with the prepared questions, Biden made errors during the interview — at one point saying he was proud to be “the first black woman to serve with a black president.”
After Lawful-Sanders’ revelation, Earl Ingram, a WMCS host who interviewed Biden after WURD, also admitted that he was given questions in advance and chose to use them.
The Biden-Harris campaign has insisted that the White House did not control the interview process.
“While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions,” a source familiar with Biden’s media strategy told The Post.
Biden, 81, has faced scrutiny after his recent debate performance against former President Donald Trump raised concerns among Democrats about his ability to serve effectively.
During the debate, Biden sometimes appeared lost and stumbled over his answers.
Biden has since said he was “exhausted” going into the debate and has taken responsibility for his performance. He has stressed that he is fully capable of handling the responsibilities of the presidency.
