Controversy has erupted after two radio talk show hosts revealed that President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign provided them with pre-approved questions for their interviews with him last week. The disclosure comes in the wake of Biden’s disappointing debate performance, raising further doubts about his ability to handle unscripted situations.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, host of “The Source” in Philadelphia, admitted on CNN that the campaign had sent her several questions to choose from for her interview with Biden. “The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them,” she said, adding that four out of the eight questions provided were used in the interview.
Earl Ingram, host of “The Earl Ingram Show” in Milwaukee, also confirmed that the Biden campaign provided him with questions for his interview. “They gave me the exact questions to ask,” Ingram told The Associated Press, noting there was no room for additional dialogue.
A campaign spokesperson did not deny the practice but insisted that the shows were not obligated to use the provided questions. “It’s not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer,” spokesperson Lauren Hitt said, emphasizing that Biden was asked about his debate performance and what he has delivered for Black Americans.
Following the backlash, the Biden campaign announced it would no longer send pre-approved questions for interviews involving the president. The interviews, intended as damage control after the debate, have instead sparked further criticism of Biden’s ability to engage in unscripted exchanges.
Adding to the controversy, Hitt claimed that former President Donald Trump’s campaign had similarly set conditions for an interview with a Virginia television station. However, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung refuted the comparison, arguing that Trump engaged in a wide range of topics in his interviews and accusing Biden’s campaign of “bullying the media into asking pre-screened and approved questions.”
