On Monday (January 24), US President Joe Biden snapped at a Fox News reporter and made an expletive-laden remark when quizzed over inflation. The incident took place during an event at the White House after Biden had made a prepared speech about tackling inflation and addressing supply-chain issues.
As per reports, the event was organised in such a way so that the US President does not have to take questions after his speech. It became clear when Biden’s economic advisor Brian Deese said: ‘We’re going to give the press a moment to exit.’ However, several reporters shouted out the questions, hoping that they would be answered by the US Biden.
Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked, “Do you think inflation is a political liability (ahead of the midterms)?” Instead of answering the question posed to him, Joe Biden went on to abuse the journalist. “That’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a b**ch (SOB),” he was heard as saying.
#WATCH | US President Joe Biden appeared to be caught on a hot mic after a journalist asked him a question related to inflation at the end of his press conference
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2022
(Video Courtesy: C-Span) pic.twitter.com/ZJCP7X3QZS
While speaking about the remarks of the US President, Peter Doocy pointed out how he did not hear the comment and only came to know after being informed by someone. “So I shouted…’Okay, what about inflation? Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms? I couldn’t even hear him because people were shouting at us to get out. But somebody came up to me in the briefing room a few minutes later and said Did you hear what the president said? And I said, ‘No, what? They said, ‘He called you stupid SOB.”
The Fox News team later joked about how Doocy might be known as the new ‘stupid SOB’ from thereon. While justifying his decision to not take questions from the press, Joe Biden said during the event, “The only reason I don’t like doing this is you never report on why I’ve called the meeting. 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.’
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins has reported that Biden’s expletives are included in the official White House Transcript.
President Biden’s hot mic moment is included in the official White House transcript. pic.twitter.com/alytNf4UfL
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 25, 2022
US President Joe Biden slammed for poor optics
This is however not the first time when Peter Doocy and Joe Biden had a verbal spat in the White House. In August last year, the US President appeared visibly frustrated on being asked about the death of 13 US Marines in a deadly terror attack at the Hamid Karzai International airport in Kabul.
Without mincing any words, Doocy asked Biden whether he was willing to take any responsibility for the Afghanistan crisis. “Mr President, there had not been a US service member killed in combat in Afghanistan since February of 2020. You set a deadline, you pulled troops out, you sent troops back in, and now 12 Marines are dead. You said the buck stops with you. Do you bear any responsibility for the way that things have unfolded in the last two weeks?” he inquired.
Joe Biden, who kept Doocy waiting till the end, fumbled as he was pressed with a tough question. The US President managed to get his act together and said that he bore responsibility for everything that had occurred ‘of late’. However, he blamed former President Donald Trump for setting May 1 as the final date of exit for all US troops from Afghanistan.
“This was a year before. In return, he was given a commitment that the Taliban will continue to attack others but not attack the American forces. Remember that? I am being serious,” he engaged in rhetorics.
After having comprehended the US President’s tactics to avoid answering hard questions, Peter Doocy emphasised, “Donald Trump is not president right now.” Biden tried to interject and stop the Fox News correspondent halfway.
At about 1:27 minutes into the conversation, he went on bend his head, close his eyes and rest his hands on the podium. It was evident that Biden was irritated with Doccy’s line of questioning. His gesture was widely criticised by the netizens for showcasing the US government’s weakness and incompetence in dealing with the situation.
