President Joe Biden called a Fox News reporter a “stupid son of a bitch” after the journalist tried to question him about inflation at a meeting with economic advisers at the White House on Monday.
As journalists were ushered out of White House’s East Room, where Biden was meeting with cabinet secretaries and others in his “Competition Council,” they shouted questions about his approach to Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine and his efforts to combat rising prices.
Biden complained that he was being asked about Russia and Ukraine instead of the Competition Council. Then, Peter Doocy of Fox News shouted a question about inflation.
“Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?” Doocy asked.
“No — that’s a great asset,” Biden deadpanned. “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
Biden had been discussing his administration’s efforts to discourage greater corporate consolidation and how that would reduce inflation, which has became a threat to Democratic prospects in next fall’s elections for the House and Senate.
Doocy frequently asks combative questions of the president and his press secretary, Jen Psaki.
On Fox News later, he made light of the exchange. “And now we’ll just have to wait and see if the White House has to bleep that on the transcript,” Doocy joked, adding that he’d only learned about Biden’s comments after he’d left the room and other reporters repeated them back to him.
“The clip will now live on,” he said.
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