In a hot-mic moment, President Biden on Monday called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a bitch” in response to his question about soaring inflation.
During an event billed as a meeting with “White House Competition Council on efforts to lower prices for working families,” held at the East Room, a reporter asked the president for an update regarding a video call he conducted earlier in the day on the situation in Ukraine. Biden sounded off Monday, growing impatient that the question had veered off-topic from the meeting.
“The only reason I don’t like doing this is that you never report on why I called a meeting, and this is really important. I had a very, very, very good meeting — total unanimity with all the European leaders. We’ll talk about it later. Thank you,” Biden told the reporter.
Another reporter then proceeded to shout out a question about a Pentagon plan that was also announced earlier Monday to putting 8,500 U.S. troops on “heightened alert” to be deployed to Eastern Europe in anticipation of a Russian incursion in Ukraine.
Biden ignored the second Russia question, smiling as White House aides rushed reporters out of the room.
“Do you think inflation is a political liability?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy yelled out to Biden.
The president smirked before hurling back a vulgar response.
“That’s a great asset. More inflation?” Biden sneered in response that was caught on a hot mic. “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
The profane insult from Biden and his exchange prior with another reporter was completely deleted from the White House video, and the reposted version was shared to its White House YouTube feed. However, clips of Biden’s response to Doocy spread like wildfire on social media within minutes after the exchange.
Doocy on “Special Report” moment after the exchange told host Bret Baier that the president didn’t want a question about the ongoing rising tension in Russia, so he asked a question concerning inflation given the White House event was about that issue.
“He didn’t want to take any questions off-topic. He was at an event about inflation, and so I asked one on inflation,” Doocy explained to Baier when asked about the colorful exchange.
Biden has become increasingly frustrated towards reporters following his second solo press conference last week, particularly towards Fox News. Last Thursday, Biden lashed out on Doocy’s colleague, Jacqui Heinrich, after she fired off a question about Biden’s response to the threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.
“Why are you waiting on Putin to make the first move, sir?” Heinrich asked.
“What a stupid question,” Biden mumbled in response to Heinrich’s question that was also caught on a hot mic as well.
At his long-winded solo White House press conference last Wednesday, Biden insinuated that RealClearPolitics reporter might be illiterate when he asked the president about his controversial voting rights speech in Georgia.
“I know that you dispute the characterization that you called folks who would oppose those voting bills as being Bull Connor’ or ‘George Wallace,’ but you said that they would be sort of in the same camp,” RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann asked Biden.
“No, I didn’t say that. Look what I said. Go back and read what I said and tell me if you think I called anyone who voted on the side of the position taken by Bull Connor that they were Bull Connor,” Biden furiously said in response. “That is an interesting reading of English. You — I assume you got into journalism because you liked to write.”
Biden campaigned on the promise of bringing normalcy to the White House, warning aides on the first day after being sworn in just a year ago that he would fire them if he heard they “treat[ed] another colleague with disrespect or talk down to someone.”
However, Biden has snapped out against reporters after pressing him on hard-hitting or those he deemed as “unfair” questions. During the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal debacle in late August, Biden blew off a reporter who tried to ask him a question about the situation in the war-torn country.
Last July, Biden scolded an NBC reporter, calling her “such a pain in the neck” for disobeying his request for not asking questions “about Iraq.” Biden barked at reporters in another event that same month, complaining their questions were too “negative” and wanted to talk about “happy things” ahead of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend.
A month prior, Biden lashed at a CNN reporter when asked about his summit with Putin, telling her that she is in the “wrong business” while refusing to answer her question.
The White House has not responded to multiple reporters’ inquiries regarding MMonday’sincident.
Fox NewsInflationPeter DoocyPresident BidenWhite HouseWhite House News
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