President Joe Biden’s campaign has reportedly announced that it will no longer give interviewers a list of pre-approved questions to ask the president prior to interviews.
The New York Post reported that a source familiar with the president’s booking operation confirmed the Biden campaign’s change after two radio show hosts told CNN that the Biden campaign had provided them with questions to ask him prior to their interviews with the 81-year-old president.
The source told The New York Post, “While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions.”
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who was dismissed from her position as host of “The Source” On WURD Philadelphia after interviewing Biden, told CNN that Biden campaign officials sent her eight pre-approved questions prior to her interview with the president.
“I got several questions — eight of them,” she said. “And the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved.”
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While the president’s campaign has reportedly decided no longer to provide interviewers with a list of pre-approved questions, Lauren Hitt, a Biden campaign spokeswoman, initially defended the campaign’s distribution of pre-approved questions. Hitt claimed that it was “not uncommon” for political campaigns to provide interviewers with a list of preferred topics to cover in interviews.
“Hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners,” Hitt said in response to the controversy. “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.”
The Post Millennial reported that the accusations by two radio hosts that the Biden campaign provided them with pre-approved questions has led to concerns regarding whether the president is able to have unscripted interviews with news reporters, especially given the fallout from the CNN presidential debate between Trump and Biden in June.
