Steve Harvey asked Hillary Clinton scripted questions during her February interview, according to the Washington Free Beacon . Clinton’s campaign reached out to the 59-year-old talk show host to give him a list of questions he had to ask the Democratic presidential candidate ahead of the show.
The interview between Steve Harvey and Clinton took place on February 17, 2016. The memo detailing the questions was leaked on the website DCLeaks . It revealed that Clinton’s campaign sent Harvey a memo a week before the February interview.
I can’t believe Steve Harvey let Hillary Clinton see hard hitting questions like this one in advance. pic.twitter.com/INoS6g8nau
— Alexander Huls (@alxhuls) October 13, 2016
In the memo, two of Clinton’s top communications aides praised Steve Harvey for being “a host who goes out of his way to make his guests feel comfortable,” and added that they “coordinated closely” with the talk show’s staff to work out a script and format the show.
The Free Beacon exclusively obtained the emails sent to and from Clinton’s volunteer aide Beanca Nicholson, who was helping Clinton’s campaign script the interview with Steve Harvey.
The memo revealed that Clinton’s aides worked closely with Steve Harvey and the talk show’s producers to format and script the interview. In fact, Clinton’s aides provided Harvey with the precise wording of his questions.
The Steve Harvey Show interview with Hillary Clinton from February was completely scripted. https://t.co/aKmgqFI9Aj pic.twitter.com/9chqp7lGoj
— TheMovement (@TheMovement_USA) October 8, 2016
The questions asked by Steve Harvey included questions about Hillary’s granddaughter as well as the presidential candidate’s preference for deep dish or thin crust pizza. Clinton’s campaign also requested the talk show host to praise her campaign’s “great start,” her great efforts to eliminate the racial divide in the U.S. as well as her gun control efforts.
Clinton’s aides also pointed out that they view Clinton’s interview with Steve Harvey as an excellent way to connect with female and African American voters.
Interestingly, the majority of women and African American voters support Clinton at this year’s presidential election, according to recent polls. Meanwhile, the majority of Donald Trump’s supporters seem to be males and whites.
The leaked memo also revealed that Hillary Clinton is not so confident about her gun control stance after all. Clinton’s aides strongly advised Steve Harvey against forcing the presidential hopeful to go into details to defend her position.
“Please note that the tone of the show is generally light so even on policy questions, Steve won’t go too deep into details.”
#US_Politics Watch Hillary Clinton FAKED Being Surprise During Steve Harvey Show, Interview Scripted By Campaign https://t.co/UjMKUdgstV pic.twitter.com/HfcphQwGV9
— The Politic Manager (@TPoliticmanager) October 7, 2016
The talk show’s producers also cooperated with Clinton’s aides to work out the segment that explores the Democratic candidate’s biography and achievements in politics.
In other news, Steve Harvey’s classic TV talent show Showtime at the Apollo is set to be reprised, as Fox has just revealed it is reviving the classic talent show for a two-hour special event, according to TV Line .
The special, which is due to air on December 5, will be hosted by Steve Harvey and will feature musical and comedy performances from famous artists. The original talent show ran on television for more than two decades, while the show’s Amateur Night helped gain national recognition for a number of stars, including Stevie Wonder and James Brown.
Hillary Clinton given questions ahead of softball interview with Steve Harvey: Leaked memo https://t.co/S3UHqwoJu3 pic.twitter.com/oswWeP6mXb
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) October 7, 2016
In fact, even Steve Harvey, who hosted Showtime at the Apollo in the period between 1993 and 2000, became famous thanks to his performances on the show. In a statement released shortly after the announcement, Harvey said he was “excited” about the upcoming two-hour special.
“I’m excited to be going back home to the Apollo to celebrate the history of this great theater. I have great memories from my time there, and this is going to be a homecoming party that you won’t want to miss.”
This won’t be the only Showtime at the Apollo special by Fox, as the network already has plans for a second special in early 2017.
[Featured Image by David Becker/Getty Images]