A Philadelphia radio station has cut ties with a host who admitted to asking President Biden questions provided by his team, WURD Radio’s leadership confirmed Sunday.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who previously hosted “The Source” on WURD 96.1 FM, conducted the first post-debate interview with Biden last Wednesday.
However, on Saturday, she revealed on CNN’s “First of All with Victor Blackwell” that she was given eight questions by Biden’s team and used four of them during her interview with the president.
Sara Lomax, WURD Radio’s president and CEO, stated on Sunday that she was not involved in arranging 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.
Many were surprised by the White House’s involvement in crafting questions for a campaign interview. “WURD Radio has cultivated trust with our audience over our 20-year history. This is something we take very seriously. Agreeing to pre-determined questions jeopardizes that trust,” Lomax added. “Black media has a long history of advocating for the interests of the Black community. This practice of de-legitimizing Black voices continues today. WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other administration.”
Despite his team providing some of the questions, Biden still managed to fumble the interview, at one point claiming he was proud to be “the first black woman to serve with a black president.”
After Lawful-Sanders’ disclosure, Earl Ingram, a WMCS host who interviewed Biden after WURD, revealed that he, too, was given questions in advance and chose to use them. The Biden-Harris campaign has insisted that the White House did not “manage the process.”
A source familiar with Biden’s media booking operation previously told The Post, “While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions.”
