Radio channel WURD-AM based in Philadephia released a statement on Sunday that the channel had ‘mutually agreed’ to part with Andrea Lawful-Sanders, a host who interviewed Joe Biden and ended up exposing him and revealing that the White House influenced the questions.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders’ interview with the President quickly went viral after Biden made a blunder by stating that he was running for ‘the first black woman to serve with the black President.’ Lawful-Sanders confessed on CNN that the questions asked during the interview were fed to her by the White House. This revelation was against WURD’s code of conduct, leading to the host’s dismissal, which Sarah Lomax, President and CEO of WURD, deemed ‘effective immediately.’
Lomax’s statement highlighted that Lawful-Sanders’ actions were a violation of trust towards the listeners, as the radio station prides itself in remaining an independent media agency that holds the government accountable. The statement also expressed disappointment in the actions of Lawful-Sanders, who went ahead with the interview, knowing it would violate WURD’s policies. WURD Radio has a reputation of providing Black people with a platform to voice their opinions and interests, but Lawful-Sanders’ actions jeopardized that image.
Biden: “I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman, to serve with a black president”
Biden identifies as a black woman. This could be a game changer, folks.
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) July 5, 2024
Furthermore, Lawful-Sanders and WURD were invited to the White House earlier this year, with the understanding that they could ask their own questions without constraints. However, the recent interview’s revelation came to a shock to the radio channel and prompted them to take immediate action. Lomax emphasized WURD’s unwavering commitment to maintaining their unique platform for Black people and strengthening their position after this incident.
The incident comes at a crucial time for Biden, who is struggling to gain support from Black voters. Making embarrassing gaffes in front of his own campaign-approved questions on a Black radio channel only worsens his position. This incident paints a picture of a desperate and out-of-touch presidential candidate, patronizing Black media in the hopes of saving his campaign.
A radio host who interviewed President Biden Wednesday tells me the White House sent her the questions before the interview. pic.twitter.com/9L6PRaUvgG
— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorBlackwell) July 6, 2024
Biden has been struggling to recover from his disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump on June 27. In an attempt to remedy the situation, he had lined up several interviews, including the one with Lawful-Sanders, to boost his image. However, the gaffe-prone candidate failed even with softball questions from Stephanopoulos.
Biden must be feeling humiliated, getting a black host fired while simultaneously humiliating himself with his own questions on a Black radio show. He clearly underestimated Black intelligence and agency, and it backfired. It’s a wonder if anyone in the Democratic party will be able to rescue Biden’s flailing campaign. We can only hope that this debacle will open the eyes of Black voters, who deserve better than being used as props by desperate Democrat operatives.