WURD, a Philadelphia-based Black-owned radio station, has made headlines after parting ways with host Andrea Lawful-Sanders for revealing that the White House provided her with a list of pre-determined questions prior to her interview with President Biden last week.
Lawful-Sanders admitted during a CNN interview that Biden’s team sent her eight questions to ask ahead of his interview on “The Source” last Wednesday. She approved four of the questions and used them during her sit-down with the president, marking his first interview following his disastrous debate performance last month.
The questions centered around Biden’s accomplishments, debate performance, progress in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, what’s at stake in the election, and what he would say to voters considering not voting in the presidential election.
On Sunday, WURD’s president and CEO, Sara M. Lomax, announced the mutual decision to part ways with Lawful-Sanders, emphasizing that WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden administration.
Lomax stated that the interview was arranged independently by Lawful-Sanders without the knowledge or collaboration of WURD management. The use of pre-determined questions provided by the White House violated the station’s practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to its listeners.
Lawful-Sanders’ departure comes after a second local radio host admitted to receiving questions from the Biden team ahead of an interview. Both radio show appearances were seen as opportunities for Biden to prove his ability to answer tough questions and defend his record.
The Biden campaign defended the practice of sending questions prior to interviews, stating that it is not uncommon for interviewees to share topics they prefer. However, hosts are always free to ask their own questions.
Lawful-Sanders did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fox News’ Hannah Panreck contributed to this report.
