The disastrous radio interview in which Joe Biden called himself a black woman was scripted, with the president knowing exactly what questions he would be asked.
Philadelphia radio station WURD was sent eight questions to ask the 81-year-old president. Journalist Andrea Lawful-Sanders says she ended up asking four — with Biden still managing to make a mess of his answers.
The president made headlines after he said he was a black woman, apparently to celebrate Kamala Harris’s appointment as vice president.
While his gaffe has been dismissed as a slip of the tongue, critics — including many within his own party — say Biden needs to do better after his disastrous debate performance.
WMCS in Wisconsin was also sent a list of questions prior to the debate.
Both hosts said the questions were suggestions that they were not obligated to use and that they never felt pressured to do so.
Two radio hosts were asked questions by the Biden campaign ahead of interviews with the president after his disastrous debate
Ultimately, they used most of these lists, they said, because the lists covered timely topics, such as his debate performance and key campaign issues.
Topics covered in the interviews included Joe Biden’s performance, the stakes of the election, how the campaign was going in the two states and what he would say to voters considering not voting.
“The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them,” Sanders told CNN on Saturday of her interview with Biden on Wednesday.
Sanders said the campaign, not the White House, sent her eight questions and she approved four for her show.
Even though Biden knew in advance that there were some possible questions, he still gave a strange answer to a question about his performance.
“I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first black woman, to serve under a black president,” he told Sanders.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders of WURD in Philadelphia was sent the talking points this week ahead of her interview on Thursday
Ingram said he was sent five questions and asked four himself.
“I didn’t have a chance to ask him everything I wanted to ask him,” he told ABC.
“The idea that I would get a chance to ask the President of the United States a question, I think, is a little bit more than anyone would expect,”
Ingram told CNN that most of his listeners did not want the president to step aside and let another Democrat challenge Donald Trump.
“This morning my phone lines were completely blocked for two hours as we had the conversation and debated whether or not this should happen,” he said.
“And I can tell you that the majority of the audience that was listening felt that we should leave it as it was. It’s a big mistake for the Democratic Party to force this on them and Joe Biden as well.”
Earl Ingram, a host for WMCS in the swing state of Wisconsin, was sent five questions and asked four
According to Biden’s campaign, it was not uncommon for interviewees to ask questions they wanted answered before the interview.
“These questions were relevant to the news of the day. The president was asked about his performance during the debate and what he had meant to black Americans,” the report said.
‘We do not impose any conditions on the acceptance of these questions for interviews and presenters are always free to ask questions that they think will best inform their listeners.
“Americans have had several chances to see him without a script since the debate.”
Polls since the debate show Trump’s lead over Biden widening. On average, some statistical analysts give him a lead of 2 to 3.3 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, and 2.5 to 4.9 percentage points when third-party candidates are included.
Biden arrives at St Joseph’s at Brandywine Roman Catholic Church to attend Mass in Wilmington, Delaware
While some Democratic lawmakers have openly called for Biden’s resignation, and many more privately, the most obvious candidates to replace him appear unwilling to do so.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Biden as their candidate within minutes of each other earlier this week.
None of Biden’s potential replacements are polling better against Trump than the president, except Michelle Obama, who is ahead of him by double digits.
