Radio Station Drops Host After She Admits to Using Joe Biden Campaign's 'Pre-Determined Questions'

In an interview last week, a Philadelphia radio personality admitted that she had only asked President Joe Biden questions that were supplied by his campaign. Subsequently, she resigned, igniting controversy and posing questions about media independence. Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who hosted The Source on WURD Radio, interviewed Biden on July 3. It was the president's first interview since his poor debate performance against Donald Trump. Many listeners tuned in hoping to hear Biden address concerns about the debate. Instead, they got softballs.

On Saturday, July 6, Lawful-Sanders informed CNN that Biden's team had given her eight 'approved' questions. She chose four of these to ask the president. In the face of growing backlash, WURD Radio, Pennsylvania's only Black-owned talk radio station, promptly distanced itself from Lawful-Sanders. Sara Lomax, the station's president and CEO, released a statement on Sunday. She said, "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 per The Sun.

Lomax stressed the importance of maintaining trust with their audience. "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...As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately," she explained. As the news made headlines, Earl Ingram, a Wisconsin radio host who also interviewed Biden last week, admitted he too received questions in advance. 

This incident comes at a sensitive time for Biden. His debate performance on June 27 left many Democrats worried about his ability to win in November. Some have even called for him to step aside. Biden has been on a media blitz since then, trying to prove he's still fit for office. At 81, Biden is already the oldest president in American history. The incumbent claimed that he had a cold heading into that debate and had asked his doctors for a COVID-19 test. 

Interestingly, even with friendly questions, Biden stumbled during the WURD interview. He said he was "proud to be the first Black woman to serve with a Black president." He likely meant to reference his vice president, Kamala Harris. This week at a rally, Biden made another gaffe by declaring that he had previously defeated Trump and that he "will beat him again in 2020."

Meanwhile, Biden's campaign chose to address the alarms of the public. They insisted that the White House wasn't involved in "managing the process." A campaign source told The New York Post, "While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions."