Radio host who interviewed Biden after debate reveals campaign sent her questions beforehand

Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who interviewed President Biden on Wednesday, revealed during a discussion on CNN that the president's team provided a list of questions to approve prior to the interview. 

CNN host Victor Blackwell said Saturday he listened to both interviews and said the questions were "essentially the same" in both. Biden spoke to Sanders who hosts "The Source" on WURD in Philadelphia, and Earl Ingram, who hosts "The Earl Ingram Show" on WMCS in Milwaukee.

"The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them," Sanders said. Blackwell noted the questions during both appearances were about his accomplishments, debate performance, progress in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, what's at stake in the election, and what he would say to voters who are considering not voting in the presidential election. 

Blackwell followed up, "So the White House sent the questions to you ahead of the interview?"

Radio host Andrea Lawful Sanders reveals on CNN that the Biden campaign sent questions before the interview.  (Screenshot/CNN)

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"Yes, I got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved," Sanders continued.

"It’s not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer. These questions were relevant to news of the day - the president was asked about this debate performance as well as what he'd delivered for black Americans. We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners. In addition to these interviews, the President also participated in a press gaggle yesterday as well as an interview with ABC. Americans have had several opportunities to see him unscripted since the debate," Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

Blackwell said Biden's team was not helping prove the "vigor" of the president by sending questions ahead of time.

"And the reason I ask is not a criticism of either of you, it’s just that if the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the president. I don‘t know how they do that by sending questions first before the interview so that the president knows what‘s coming," Blackwell said.

President Joe Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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Sanders told the Washington Post that she never felt pressured to ask certain questions.

"When I was asked to do this interview it was most important to me to have the voices of the Black people heard. I never once felt pressured to ask certain questions," Sanders said. "I chose questions that were most important to the black and brown communities we serve in … Philadelphia. Those questions proved to be exactly what black and brown communities desired."

Blackwell also showed a portion of Biden's interview with Sanders, specifically when he was responding to a question about his accomplishments. 

"I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first Black woman, to serve with a Black president," Biden said during the interview. 

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"If you listen to these interviews, it is abundantly clear what the president meant. This would be considered a perfectly normal speech pattern for any other person in America, and has certainly been normal for Joe Biden for his entire career," a campaign official told Fox News Digital, referencing Biden's remarks. 

Ingram expressed during another interview with CNN that his audience believed Biden should remain in the race. 

"This morning, for 2 hours, my phone lines were completely jammed as we had the conversation and the debate on whether or not this is something that should occur. And I can tell you that the majority of the listening audience thought that we should leave it as it is and it’s a big mistake for the Democratic Party to attempt to force this on them as well as Joe Biden," Ingram said.

Biden also spoke to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday, during which he told viewers that he was staying in the race. 

Following the CNN debate, Biden continues to face mounting calls to drop out of the race.