Breaking with the prescribed Biden narrative is having dire consequences for some media pundits.
WURD, a Philadelphia-based Black-owned radio station, has reportedly “parted ways” with a host after she said that the White House gave her a list of pre-determined questions before her interview with President Biden last week.
On Saturday, Andrea Lawful-Sanders admitted during a CNN interview that the President's team sent her eight questions to ask ahead of his interview on “The Source” last Wednesday. Lawful-Sanders said she “approved” four of the questions and used them during her sit-down with the president which was Biden's first interview following his unsteady debate performance.
BREAKING: The Philadelphia radio show host who admitted she was given the questions to ask President Biden for an interview, has been cut by WURD Radio.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 7, 2024
Holy sh*t.
During an interview with CNN yesterday, host Andrea Lawful-Sanders admitted that she was given questions to ask… pic.twitter.com/mcIU4jza5A
On Sunday, WURD's president and CEO, Sara M. Lomax, announced that Lawful-Sanders and WURD have “mutually agreed to part ways,” emphasizing that “WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other admin.”
“On July 3, the first post-debate interview with President Joe Biden was arranged and negotiated independently by WURD Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders without knowledge, consultation or collaboration with WURD management,” Lomax said in a statement on Sunday.
Whoa! Andrea Lawful-Sanders out at @onwurd because the predetermined questions issue! pic.twitter.com/wItjXu7lRL
— Stephen R. Flemming, Ed.D. (@kellygrade6) July 7, 2024
“The interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners. As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately,” she added.
Lawful-Sanders' departure comes shortly after a second local radio host came forward to admit that he also received questions beforehand from the Biden White House. In statements given to ABC News, Wisconsin radio station host Earl Ingram confirmed that he was given five questions to ask Biden during their recent chat and wasn't able to get through all of them before the interview ended.
“Yes, I was given some questions for Biden,” Earl Ingram of CivicMedia told ABC News. Ingram, a prominent host of a Wisconsin radio station, interviewed Biden this week in the wake of his debate performance.
Earl Ingram, #Milwaukee radio host, admits Biden's aides “gave me the exact questions to ask.” pic.twitter.com/7NmEv0ZB8N
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) July 6, 2024
Ingram told ABC he didn't see anything necessarily wrong with the practice. “To think that I was gonna get an opportunity to ask any question to the President of the United States, I think, is a bit more than anybody should expect,” he said.
“Certainly the fact that they gave me this opportunity … meant a lot to me,” Ingram said.
Biden's shocking debate performance has triggered an onslaught of negative pushback from his own party.
Last week, multiple U.S. lawmakers publicly called on Biden to be replaced on November's ballot in a shocking rebuke.
Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Member of Congress to publicly encourage Biden to step down last week.
“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” he later said. “President Biden should do the same.”
INBOX: Rep. Lloyd DOGGETT (D-Texas) becomes the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to publicly call on BIDEN to withdraw from the 2024 race.
— Mychael Schnell (@mychaelschnell) July 2, 2024
"Rep. Doggett Calls on President Biden to Withdraw"
Doggett has served in the House since 1995. pic.twitter.com/EH9JStCsiq
Last week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) also seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate.
Andy for President? @GovAndyBeshear's comments when asked about his name being mentioned as a candidate if President Biden were to drop out. Beshear has been named by several national media outlets as a potential replacement. @WLKY pic.twitter.com/QDRnG5NDjh
— Addie Meiners (@ameinersWLKY) July 1, 2024
Despite numerous public pleas, President Joe Biden informed colleagues that he would not bow out of the race according to a letter shared with Congressional Democrats on Monday.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote in the letter.
Biden posted the letter himself to his X account.
This morning, I sent a letter to my fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. In it, I shared my thoughts about this moment in our campaign.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 8, 2024
It's time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/ABtAaJrr0n