Following the backlash-ridden CNN debate against Trump last week, President Joe Biden appeared in interviews with WURD radio station for The Source show, The Earl Ingram Show and ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. In another attention-grabbing revelation that will likely work against the commander-in-chief, radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who interviewed Biden in the former case, dropped another bombshell, claiming that his team sent her questions ahead of the event.
Recently appearing on a discussion with CNN host Victor Blackwell, Sanders said, “The questions were sent to me for approval. However, on top of that, Blackwell also pointed out that the interviews conducted by The Source host and Earl Ingram, who hosts The Earl Ingram Show on WMCS in Milwaukee, were “essentially the same.”
Local radio hosts reveal they received questions prior to Joe Biden interviews
Blackwell asked Sanders if the White House sent her questions before the interview to confirm his doubts. “Yes, I got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved,” she replied.
Blackwell also implied that by sending questions before the interview, the president’s team was essentially only adding to the contentious claims regarding his mental competency to run in the presidential race.
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This same interview with Sanders also happened to have become another instance where Biden’s performance was yet again brought under scrutiny as he proudly claimed to be the first “black woman to serve with a black president.”
While highlighting his accomplishments, Biden said during the interview, “By the way, I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice-president, first black woman… to serve with a black president.”
Later today, a second local radio host – Earl Ingram – also told ABC News the same thing.
“Yes, I was given some questions for Biden,” said Earl Ingram, who also interviewed the president following his disastrous performance at the presidential debate.
The Wisconsin radio host claimed that he was able to ask only four of the five questions he’d been given. “I didn’t get a chance to ask him all the things I wanted to ask.” However, he didn’t particularly deem the practice wrong and was grateful for the opportunity. “Certainly the fact that they gave me his opportunity… meant a lot to me,” Ingram added.
Campaign officials respond to the new developments
In the former case, responding to Lawful-Sanders’ claims, Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Fox News Digital that it was “not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer.”
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“These questions were relevant to news of the day – the president was asked about this debate performance as well as what he’d delivered for black Americans. We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners. In addition to these interviews, the President also participated in a press gaggle yesterday as well as an interview with ABC. Americans have had several opportunities to see him unscripted since the debate,” she concluded.
In the same breath, the Biden campaign also told ABC News on Saturday, “We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners.”
Another source connected to the Biden booking operation told ABC News, “While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions.”