After lackluster debate, Biden's team drafted his interview questions
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One radio host says she got 8 questions and selected 4 of them.
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US President Joe Biden is seen speaking at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 5, 2024. (AP)
President Joe Biden's White House team bypassed its usual procedures for his first post-debate interview with a Black radio station earlier this week.
The White House assisted in drafting the host's questions for the president before forwarding them to the station, a person familiar with the matter told Axios.
WURD is Pennsylvania's sole African-American-owned and run talk radio station, but the White House director of Black media was not involved in the process.
The action is the latest attempt to shield Biden from unscripted situations after his abysmal debate performance generated new concerns about his mental health.
Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders told CNN on Saturday morning that her "questions were sent to me for approval; I approved of them."
Lawful-Sanders, who broadcasts "The Source" on WURD in Philadelphia, said she was handed 8 questions, from which she selected four.
Earl Ingram, who also spoke to Biden the next day for a Milwaukee station, told ABC News on Saturday, "Yes, I was given some questions for Biden."
Lauren Hitt, Biden's spokesperson, told Axios that the "White House did not manage the process or the questions," adding that "we do not condition interviews on acceptance of certain questions, and hosts/ reporters are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners."
"This was a campaign interview and, as such, it was handled by the campaign and our Black Media Director. To overcommunicate, the White House Black media director was not involved because it was a campaign interview and not a White House one."
Given this revelation, several Democrats believe the White House used Black media cynically and dismissively during a crisis, something a Black Democratic strategist told Axios should be a "fireable offense".
Michael LaRosa, former press secretary for First Lady Jill Biden, told Axios that Biden's team has always used the strategy of pre-submitting interview questions, citing that the same was attempted to be done for Jill Biden's interviews when he joined the team in 2019.
"I was really uncomfortable and had to explain in a more colorful way," LaRosa said. "I said specifically. 'Look, it's unethical for you to do that. They can be called out for screening the questions for [Joe Biden] but we're not going to embarrass his wife that way. Ever. Do you get it?'"
Gentle questions
Lawful-Sanders' questions were easygoing and similar to the ones Ingram asked Biden.
On "The Earl Ingram Show" on Milwaukee's WMCS, he questioned Biden, "Can you speak to some accomplishments that we may or not be familiar with about your record, especially here in Wisconsin?"
Lawful Sanders had questioned the previous day, "For people that may say 'what has the Biden-Harris administration done for me as a Black person' what progress has been made here in Pennsylvania?"
Ingram also asked Biden what he thought of those who said their votes did not matter, inquiring about what he would say to them.
A similar question was posed by Lawful-Sanders who asked, "What do you say to the people who plan on sitting this election out?"
'I’m running the world', Biden says during ABC News interview
Following his lackluster performance in last week’s debate against Donald Trump, US President Joe Biden sought to address concerns about his age and cognitive abilities in an interview for ABC News on Friday.
In the highly anticipated sit-down with George Stephanopoulos, the 81-year-old leader attributed the debate fiasco entirely to himself, stating, “It’s my fault, no one else’s fault.” He emphasized that it was simply a “bad episode” due to being “exhausted” and “sick” with a “bad cold”, stressing it was not indicative of any serious condition.
Biden revealed, "I have medical doctors trailing me everywhere I go," and they informed him post-debate that he was "exhausted", but nothing more severe. He added, "I have an ongoing assessment of what I’m doing. They don’t hesitate to tell me if something is wrong."
When asked directly whether he was prepared to undergo a neurological test to reassure Americans about his capabilities, Biden sidestepped the question, asserting, “I have a cognitive test every single day.”
“Every day I have that test,” Biden reiterated when pressed again. “Not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world, and that’s not hyperbole.”
According to reports from Axios, several House Democrats have indicated a significant shift in sentiment, with one member noting, "The dam is breaking."
Another expressed that Biden should "step down and help lead a transition of candidacy," echoing a sentiment shared by a "very large majority" of the caucus.
A draft letter urging Biden's withdrawal is reportedly circulating among lawmakers, with one Democrat saying it is "all anyone is talking about."
