Biden's disastrous radio interview where he called himself a black woman was scripted, with radio hosts sent questions he'd answer ahead of time
The disastrous radio interview where Joe Biden called himself a black woman was scripted, with the president knowing exactly the questions he'd be asked.
WURD radio in Philadelphia 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 sparked a flurry of headlines after saying he was a 'black woman,' apparently while attempting to hail his appointment of Kamala Harris as vice president.
While his flub has been defended as a slip of the tongue, critics - including many within his own party - say Biden needs to get it perfect after his disastrous debate performance.
The bungled interview wasn't the only instance where Biden's team tried to get him a cheat sheet ahead of time. WMCS in Wisconsin was also sent a list of questions ahead of the president's appearance.
Two radio station hosts were sent questions by the Biden campaign ahead of interviews with the president after his disastrous debate
Both hosts said the questions were suggestions that they were under no obligation to use, and never felt pressured to do so.
They ended up using most of them, they said, because the list covered timely topics like his debate performance and major campaign issues.
Topics covered in the interviews included Joe Biden's accomplishments, what's at stake in the election, how the campaign was going in the two states, and what he would say to voters who were thinking of 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 of them for her show.
Even with some of the potential questions known to him ahead of time, Biden made his strange flub in an answer to one about his accomplishments.
'I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first Black woman, to serve with a Black president,' he told Sanders.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders at WURD in Philadelphia was sent the talking points this week before her interview on Thursday
Ingram said he was sent five questions and asked four of them.
'I didn't get a chance to ask him all the things I wanted to ask,' he told ABC.
'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,'
Ingram told CNN most of his listeners said they didn't want the president to step aside and let another Democrat challenge Donald Trump.
'This morning, for two hours, my phone lines were completely jammed as we had the conversation and the debate on whether or not this is something that should occur,' he said.
'And I can tell you that the majority of the listening audience thought that we should leave it as it is and it's a big mistake for the Democratic Party to attempt to force this on them as well as Joe Biden.'
Earl Ingram a host for WMCS in battleground state Wisconsin aid he was sent five questions and asked four of them
The Biden campaign said it was not uncommon for interviewees to share questions they would prefer to answer ahead of interviews.
'These questions were relevant to news of the day - the president was asked about this debate performance as well as what he'd delivered for black Americans,' it said.
'We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners.
'Americans have had several opportunities to see him unscripted since the debate.'
Polls since the debate show Trump widening his lead over Biden, with average from various aggregators giving him a 2 to 3.3 per cent edge head-to-head, and 2.5 to 4.9 per cent advantage when third party candidates are included.
Biden arrives at St Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church to attend mass in Wilmington, Delaware
Despite some Democratic lawmakers openly calling for Biden to stand aside, and many more in private, the most obvious candidates to replace him appear unwilling.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer both, within minutes of each other, pledged their support for Biden as the nominee earlier this week.
None of Biden's potential replacements are doing any better in the polls against Trump than the president, except Michelle Obama who leads him by double digits.
