President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic Monday disparaging Fox News White House reporter Peter Doocy for a question shouted at the end of a White House event to which the press was admitted.
That came following the president's meeting with the Competition Council about how the administration was fighting inflation.
"Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms," he asked as reporters fired various questions at the president as they were exiting the room. Biden didn't answer any of them, but could be heard saying of Doocy's question: "No, it's a great asset. More inflation," apparently unaware the mic was still hot. Then the cameras returned to the President, showing him with mouth closed but clearly adding loudly under his breath as an aside: "What a stupid son of a bitch."
The president later reached out to Doocy to "clear the air," according to the rpeorter.
Also: Doocy Named White House Correspondent
Within minutes of Biden's hot mic comment, stories about the exchange began appearing on outlets from Politico to CNBC.
Biden has made no secret of his disdain for some of the questioning from Doocy in the past. Just last week, in his first solo press conference in months and only the second of his presidency, Biden took a question from Doocy, but joked that historically Doocy's questions did not make much sense to him.
Fox was leading its website with a story on the incident headlined: "Raging Biden curses out Fox News' Peter Doocy as he takes his bitterness towards press to a new level."
Doocy addressed the President's comment on Special Report at 6 p.m.
Bret Baier: "Peter, tell us about that colorful exchange with the president a short time before this show. You asked a question earlier this evening."
Peter Doocy: "He didn't want to take any questions off-topic. He was at an event about inflation. I asked about inflation. Now wait to see if the white house has to bleep that on the transcript."
There was no "bleeping," according to the copy of the transcript sent to NextTV:
[Doocy] "Will you take questions on inflation then? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?
THE PRESIDENT: "No, it's a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch."
“[T]here may be people who are Biden partisans and some others, friendly media people who might like hearing the president say that but it doesn't reflect well on any president to engage in these nasty disputes with journalists," said Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume. "It's punching down. He is the president of the United States. Most powerful person on Earth arguably, for him to be insulting journalists is not a good look."
Appearing later on Hannity, Doocy said Biden had called him to "clear the air" and that the President said it was nothing personal. Doocy told the president that he would always be asking about "different topics" than others in the press. ■
